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PHASE ONE CAPTURE ONE
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PLUS
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON © Simon Baxter
BAXTER ON HOW TO CAPTURE
WOODLAND PHOTOGRAPHY
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CONTENTS JANUARY 2018 • VOLUME 47 • NUMBER 3 • ISSUE 568

TOOLS
24 ASK A PRO
Scott Kelby Answers
Your Photography
Questions
by Scott Kelby

26 TECHNICALLY
SPEAKING
Everything You Always
Wanted to Know About
Camera Shutters but
Were Afraid to Ask
by Seth Shostak

28 THE GOODS
This Month’s Picks
for Our Favorite New
Premium Photo Gear
by The Editors

32 GEARED UP
My Favorite Wide-Angle

© Ron Leach
Lenses for Outdoor
Photography
52 by Joe Farace

REVIEWS
38 YI M1 MIRRORLESS
CAMERA
Lab Test Results &
Comments: Still & Video
Edited by George
Schaub

44 CANON EOS REBEL

SL2
Lab Test Results &
Comments: Still & Video
Edited by George
Schaub

52 NIKON D850
A Full-Frame 45.7MP
DSLR Designed to Do
Just About Everything
by Ron Leach

56 CAPTURE ONE PRO 10

Phase One’s Raw Image-
Editing Software Is
Now Easier to Use With
Improved Features
by Jack Neubart

TECHNIQUES
60 PRO’S CHOICE
© Simon Baxter

Simon Baxter Goes Deep

to Capture His Moody
Images of Nature
60 by Jack Neubart

SHUTTERBUG (ISSNO895-321X) is published monthly by TEN: The Enthusiast Network, LLC, 261 Madison Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing
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6 | JANUARY | 2018
CONTENTS JANUARY 2018 • VOLUME 47 • NUMBER 3 • ISSUE 568

CREATIVITY
16 ON THE ROAD
Explore Creative
Techniques to Add
Variety to Your Photos
by Deborah Sandidge

20 GOING MOBILE
How Instagram and an
iPhone Turned a Hobby
Into a Second Career
by Barry Tanenbaum

64 WAIT UNTIL DARK

An Inspiring New
Book Reminds Us That
the Night Time Is the
Right Time for Outdoor
Photography
by Barry Tanenbaum

© Deborah Sandidge
DEPARTMENTS
10 EDITOR’S NOTES
12 FULL FRAME
16 14 TALKING PICTURES
68 PICTURE THIS!
81 FINAL SHOT

READER SERVICES
78 HOT STUFF

ON THE COVER
When wandering through
unfamiliar woodland, photographer
Simon Baxter says he is “always
on the lookout for trees that look
out of place, perhaps old and wise-
looking trees that were probably
there well before those that now
surround them.” As evidenced
by our gorgeous cover shot, titled
“Guardians of the Forest,” Baxter’s
persistence pays off with rewarding
images. He found the imposing
pair of trees gracing our cover in
Snowdonia, in northwest Wales, and
returned early the following day to
capture the scene he envisioned.
He says, “It was a splendid scene
to witness as the light caught the
fading mist and lit the gap between
the almost symmetrical trees that
form a gateway into an environment
where I feel most content and at
ease.” The image was taken with
a Sony A7 II and a Sony FE 55mm
© Eric Ward

f/1.8 ZA lens at ISO 100, f/9, and 1/15

second. To view more of Baxter’s
20 woodland photography, read our
interview with him on page 60.

8 | JANUARY | 2018
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WEB/SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR RON LEACH
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MILLARD, JOSH MILLER, JACK NEUBART, MARIA PISCOPO, DEBORAH
SANDIDGE, JASON SCHNEIDER, SETH SHOSTAK, JON SIENKIEWICZ,
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CREATIVITY / FULL FRAME

THE BIG PICTURE

You don’t always need to wait for the perfect hour or the perfect light to capture an image. Sometimes you should just go for it. That’s what photographer
Iswar Biswal did with this epic panorama, which was shot on the way to Denali National Park in Alaska. “At times, one doesn’t need to wait for the blue hour
or golden hour to shoot the picture,” Biswal says. “This is shot middle of the day, standing from a viewpoint and hand-held.” It’s a three-shot pano captured
with a Sony A6500 mirrorless camera and a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens at 209mm, f/10, 1/500 second, ISO 320. He said the biggest
challenge with photographing something as dramatically awesome as an Alaskan landscape is to isolate a single composition in a vast wilderness. But even
Biswal admits that a photographer can only do so much. “The gorgeous view is more soothing to the eye in person than seeing it in picture,” he notes. You
can see more of Biswal’s work at facebook.com/icbeaute.

© Iswar Biswal

12 | JANUARY | 2018
SHUTTERBUG.COM | 13
CREATIVITY / TALKING PICTURES

than the 24mm I usually use for night

SHOOTING STARS sky images. The tricky part was exposure

for the lightning storm—the cloud was
so bright.” He estimates that during the
PREPARED FOR A METEOR SHOWER, A PHOTOGRAPHER exposure there were 15 lightning flashes—
FINDS THE NIGHT HAS A FEW SURPRISES IN STORE “every two seconds, lighting up the inside
By Barry Tanenbaum of the cloud. It was like firing a flash unit
inside a pillowcase.”
THE NIGHT PROMISED PICTURES: there’d be a clear sky and the peak period of the There was some luck involved, as he
annual Perseid meteor shower. had no way of knowing if a meteor would
There’d be a lot more, but photographer Christoph Stopka and his wife, Cathy, didn’t cross during the exposure. “It was, Okay,
know when they set up the camera in their backyard that the sky show would far exceed I’ll take a chance, I’ll go with 25 seconds
their expectations. and maybe I’ll get a meteor. I got a few
before this shot, but tiny, not really special.
The Stopkas live in Westcliffe, a cloud illuminated from the inside by When this came, we literally screamed, but
Colorado, in a house 9,000 feet above multiple lightning strikes. we didn’t know right away that we’d gotten
sea level. Their view of the night sky And then, in the last five seconds of it. Later when we saw it, and saw that it
is spectacular and unspoiled by light a 25-second exposure, a meteor came had changed color as it went over, green
pollution because there is none; Westcliffe streaking across the sky, changing color to orange to red, we screamed again. We
is a designated International Dark Sky as it went. “Standing there, we were knew it would be a moment we’d remember
Community. “People come from around completely in awe, speechless,” Stopka for all of our lives.”
the world to photograph the night sky over says. “The lit cloud, the stars, the Milky If you visit Westcliffe to photograph
Westcliffe,” Stopka says. “There are no Way, the meteor—we’d never seen the night sky, what you need to remember
streetlights allowed here, and residents anything like it.” is that there are no streetlights. Bring a
either don’t have outside lights or have The 25-second exposure caught it all. “I flashlight. A hooded one. Q
covers over them to limit their visibility.” take so many night photography images I
Stopka adds that area is also known totally have a feeling for the situation, and A selection of Christoph Stopka’s outdoor
for the “unbelievable weather patterns” I knew it would be a good 20- or 25-second and nature photography, which includes
its topography—two mountain ranges and exposure, and 25 is the outside to keep the extraordinary images of the night sky, is
© Christoph Stopka

a valley—creates. “In 15 minutes or less stars sharp in the sky.” featured at christophstopka.com.
we’ll have thunderstorms build up out of He also knew from experience that his
nowhere,” he says, and sure enough, in the 20mm lens was best for the sky coverage Tech Talk: The photograph was made with a Nikon
D810 and an AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED lens; camera
midst of the meteor shower that night, one he needed. “The meteor shower would settings were 25 seconds at f/3.2, ISO 2500, manual
of those storms added to his subject matter be all over the place, and I needed more exposure, and Matrix metering.

14 | JANUARY | 2018
 TOOLS / ADVERTORIAL
« Stilt fisherman captured by Jay Dickman while
serving as National Geographic Expert during an
expedition to Sri Lanka. For this early morning
shot, Dickman used his OM-D E-M1 Mark II and
M.Zuiko 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lens. Exposure was 1
second at f/22. “The rip-rap jetty was very slick
and uneven with waves crashing nearby. I had to
keep the tripod moving to avoid waves and
saltwater spray. The sun was about to rise and
the lighting was deteriorating rapidly. The
camera’s compact size and light weight allowed
me to work quickly and safely, recomposing the
frame each time I had to move the setup.”
© Jay Dickman

OLYMPUS VETERAN JAY » TruePic™ VIII Image Processor

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WITH THE OM-D SYSTEM speeds faster than those of DSLRs.
The advanced silent electronic shutter
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING photographer said. “The OM-D system works extremely captures 20MP Raw image files at up to
Jay Dickman has been shooting only well for me since many of my assignments an astonishing 60 fps in S-AF Mode and
with Olympus equipment since 2003, are outdoor, wildlife, or photojournalistic.” 18 fps in C-AF Tracking Mode. Its high-
converting to its Micro Four Thirds OM-D Dickman shoots with the Olympus speed mechanical shutter shoots full-
System when introduced in 2008. OM-D E-M1 Mark II and a variety of resolution photos at 15 fps in S-AF Mode,
As a National Geographic photographer, M.Zuiko lenses designed to help optimize far surpassing other cameras in its class.
Dickman’s career has included many the camera’s performance. » Frequency Acceleration Sensor
diverse experiences, including three “My favorite lenses are the M.Zuiko Technology (FAST) Autofocus with
months living in a Stone Age village in 12-100mm f4.0 IS PRO—a fantastic all- selectable focus areas for even greater
Papua New Guinea and a week under the around lens—and the 7-14mm f2.8 PRO precision using 121-point cross-type phase
Arctic ice in a nuclear attack sub. He’s because it’s super sharp, fast, and I love detection plus contrast detection AF.
had more than 25 assignments for the shooting wide and getting in close to » Large, fast Interactive Electronic
National Geographic Society and, among my subjects. The 25mm f1.2 PRO is also Viewfinder with a convenient three-inch
his many credits, has taught at the Santa phenomenal. I use it in low-light situations fully-articulating monitor.
Fe Workshops, Maine Media Workshops, or where I want minimal depth of field. » Smooth handheld Cinema 4K Video
Photography at the Summit, and American And the 40-150mm f2.8 PRO is a very ‘real- via the camera’s in-body 5-Axis Image
Photo Mentor Series. world’ wildlife and sports lens, providing Stabilization.
Dickman is co-author of the best- incredible sharpness with minimal » An extensive suite of creative features,
selling book, Perfect Digital Photography, footprint. When used with the MC-14 1.4x including Live Composite, which easily
published by McGraw-Hill. teleconverter, it’s a great ‘Africa’ lens with captures star trails and city lights.
“Olympus gave me its ‘road map’ for the the maximum reach of 420mm full-frame » Rugged all-metal body with exceptional
future 15 years ago when I was originally equivalent. It’s a workhorse for wildlife.” freeze, dust, and splash resistance.
approached about being a sponsored Dickman explains that MFT format “Are some pros skeptical about my
Olympus Visionary. And that road map is lenses are about half the size and weight of equipment? Sure, but I just tell them
what did it for me.” full-sensor lenses. to try the OM-D system and judge for
He noted that the first 35mm camera “I can carry my bag on almost any themselves. I’m getting fewer and fewer
was introduced in 1925. It was small, aircraft. Last year I shot in 31 countries raised eyebrows!”
compact and provided extremely high- with three bodies and a wide variety of View Jay Dickman’s work at
quality images while being unobtrusive. lenses without checking luggage—all jaydickman.net. Q
“Modern DSLRs are going the other this convenience, but accompanied by
direction, growing to massive sizes. absolutely top-quality images.” Hear more from other photographers who
Olympus produces cameras and lenses I’m Dickman had praise for the E-M1 Mark have made the switch to the Olympus OM-D
comfortable carrying for hours,” Dickman II body’s features: system at getolympus.com/neverlookback.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 15
CREATIVITY / ON THE ROAD
« The low angle changes the dynamic of this
image, made at Lake Eola in Orlando, Florida.
I had a 16mm fisheye on my camera, and the
camera was just above the waterline, mounted
on a Platypod Max that was on my Really Right
Stuff BH-55 Ballhead.

SHAKE IT UP
My 8-16mm zoom fisheye, at 8mm, provided a
different way to picture familiar elements at the
Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park
in Colorado. I wanted to give viewers a sense of
place and a bit of a jolt. In Photoshop I gave the
colorful, detailed circle a clean white background
and a drop shadow.

EXPLORE CREATIVE TECHNIQUES TO ADD VARIETY TO

YOUR PHOTOS By Deborah Sandidge POINT OF VIEW
Essentially, the idea here is to go low, go
REGULAR READERS KNOW THAT I EMPHASIZE in these columns the idea of visualizing high, go unexpected. Shoot from a low
opportunities that will set your images apart from the rest. There is another aspect to angle for eye-to-eye images and unusual
that idea, and that’s setting your images apart from each other. In other words, adding perspectives; from a high angle for the
variety to your photography by adding, and even combining, techniques. depth, detail, and emotional response that
All my methods, techniques, and ideas ultimately have one purpose: to reach beyond those photographs can provide.
the first-impression shot, the see-something-and-grab-a-photo moment. By unexpected I mean your choice
I thought I’d start off this year’s columns by going into the details and providing of lens and composition. Tilt the camera
examples of some of these creative tips and the added benefit of combining them from slightly to increase a sense of movement
time to time. or tension. Use a fisheye lens for the
surprising treatment of familiar subjects—
for example, sky, sunlight, trees, and
clouds when you look straight up at them.
A photograph of a child taken at
the child’s level builds an emotional
connection between the viewer and
the photograph, and makes for a more
intimate portrait. If you shoot standing up,
you’ve separated yourself, and the photo’s
viewer, from your subject.
A photograph driven by a different
point of view often begins for me when
I think, Okay, I know the normal way
to shoot this, but what’s the not normal
way? What composition will give me the
Photos © Deborah Sandidge

element of surprise?

« I made this eye-level portrait in the mountain

weaving village of Chinchero, Peru. Attracted by
the vivid colors and textures, I saw she was
looking right at me with this little pout, which
made her all the more adorable. If I’d remained
standing and shot down at her, the photo
wouldn’t have the same emotional impact.

16 | JANUARY | 2018
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CREATIVITY / ON THE ROAD

This image of Tower Bridge in London combines a 20-second exposure with blue-hour photography for
an unfamiliar look at a familiar place. I deliberately tilted the camera to avoid a static look and add a
little tension to the picture.
I used a 30-second exposure and a high angle for
this image taken in Addison, Texas, at holiday
time. I could have gotten an interesting shot at
ground level, but from a ninth-floor vantage
point, I added depth, dimension, and distance to
the colorful curves.

GO LONG
Long exposures capture time passing, and
they collect light. When combined with
panning, they can convey the energy of
city streets. When I combine them with
blue-hour photography, I can get very
different, eye-catching, and dramatic
views of very familiar places.

TIME OF DAY
I like to shoot at the golden hour of early
morning, before most people are up; at
the blue hour as darkness approaches and
the light is more dramatic; and after dark,
when the tourists are all gone, I have the
streets to myself, and the night tells a
A shot freezing the action wouldn’t impart the feeling of frenetic energy that is Times Square in New
York City. The reflection of the iconic yellow cab in the glass front of the background building adds to different story.
the effect of the 1/6-second pan blur. The oldest trick in the book, still reliably effective. For this to make sense and to work
for you, you have to consider yourself a
traveler, not a tourist. You have to get up
earlier and stay later than a tourist. Your
day will be longer, but you’ll see more,
photograph more, and tell more stories
than the tourist.
And I like to combine silhouettes with
images taken early and late. Silhouettes
are a wonderful way to create mystery and
add interest to an image.
« Combining a I’ll explore more ideas for idea-driven
silhouette with a
golden-light image photographs in my next column. Q
taken near Ljubljana,
Slovenia. The figure is
a guide who knew a A selection of Deborah Sandidge’s world
stormy night would photography is at deborahsandidge.com,
produce golden rays
and fog for us if we along with cinemagraphs, photo tips, and
were up early enough a schedule of upcoming workshops, photo
the following morning.
We were. tours, and seminars.

18 | JANUARY | 2018
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CREATIVITY / GOING MOBILE

Eric Ward’s son, Cole, at Fort Meigs, in Perrysburg, Ohio. For strongly backlit
sunset silhouettes, Ward meters the brightest part of the image,
underexposing the subject.

I like it when photographers work

their kids into their ideas and their
photographs.
Ward is not a photographer by
« Ward crossed sheets
of ice to photograph profession—he’s a teacher, and has been
this leaf frozen in the for 22 years—but he’s a professional if you
Maumee River in Side
Cut Metropark, consider that he’s carried out a number
Maumee, Ohio. “I loved
the textures of both of pro assignments and sold his images—
the leaf and the most notably three of them to Apple
surface of the ice as
well as the idea of a for their iPhone 6 “Shot on iPhone” ad
season being campaign.
preserved, as if
autumn had tried to His professional success is largely due
hold on.” to his social media presence, particularly
on Instagram, where he’s been posting for

LIFE LESSONS
HOW INSTAGRAM AND AN IPHONE TURNED A HOBBY INTO
about five years.
He’d photographed with a point-
and-shoot and a DSLR, but his iPhone
photography accelerated his use of
Instagram. “I loved the interaction,” he
A SECOND CAREER By Barry Tanenbaum says, “and I met so many true friends
through it.”
I WAS PRETTY SURE I WANTED TO TALK with Eric Ward when I saw his iPhone Then came the professional side: Apple
pictures at various sites around the Web. I was absolutely sure when I read, at one noticed him. Sony saw his work and sought
of those sites, his best photography secret: “Perspective. I’m 6’4” and I see the world him out, and now he’s a part of their Alpha
differently than my 3 year-old. Change your perspective while shooting a scene and Imaging Collective and shoots with an A7R
you’ll find a whole new scene to shoot.” II camera in addition to his iPhone. Other
assignments came his way, including a
long-term gig with Clif Bar and a 10-day
shoot for Minnesota’s Explore Minnesota
campaign, which he photographed entirely
with his iPhone.
“It’s been a fun ride to be able to turn a
hobby into a second career,” Ward says.

ORIGIN STORY
Eric Ward came to photography in the
black-and-white darkroom of a high
school photo course. “That moment when
the image comes onto the print—there’s
« If there’s a puddle in nothing like that,” he says. Drawn to the
the area, Ward’s going world of professional photographers, he
to find and photograph
it. This one was in a homed in on Sam Abell. “I don’t shoot the
Chicago alley. “People
walk by puddles and same things Abell does, but the stories he’s
try to avoid them, but able to tell with images really resonated
to me they’re
Photos © Eric Ward

opportunities to see with me, and I was inspired by his

the world differently. compositions, how he put basic elements
Turn your phone
upside down and get together, and how his pictures have layers
close to the puddle— that tell stories within one frame. I’m still
you’ll be shocked at
what you get.” working toward that.”

20 | JANUARY | 2018
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CREATIVITY / GOING MOBILE
Ward is not only a talented layers they put into their paintings. All
photographer, he’s a talented observer. those elements can be transferred to
An episode of Adorama TV, shot about photography.”
two years ago, follows him as he takes A turning point in his photography
photographic notes in the Toledo Museum came with his recognition of the
of Art. “I think any photographer can importance of perspective. “My older
draw inspiration from how artists used photos don’t show that awareness,” he
light, composed images, and created the says, “but the ones after I had kids do.
» This image was taken
in a still-green wheat
field in northwest
Ohio. Ward posted it to
Instagram just as you
see it here, but he shot
it upside down in order
to create a little optical
illusion mystery.

I gave my oldest daughter, when she was

young, a Fisher-Price digital camera,
and seeing her pictures, it struck me how
things looked from her perspective. I
started seeing the world from her vantage
point, where basic things look incredibly
« Ward made this
different.”
photo at sunrise in Another important element is his use
Gulf State Park in Gulf
Shores, Alabama. With of silhouettes, and that, too, has its origins
his iPhone mounted with his children. When they were very
on a tripod, he set up
the composition, set young he used silhouettes to essentially
the timer, and walked hide their faces, and that led to his
into the scene. “You
can pull a lot out of an realization that the unidentified child is in
iPhone image—it’s got a sense the universal child, and that child’s
a pretty wide dynamic
range.” image would have greater resonance with

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» Cole Ward at the Irwin Prairie State Nature
Preserve in Toledo, Ohio. Eric Ward’s iPhone now
is the 7 Plus. His favorite apps are Snapseed,
Lightroom for mobile, and VSCO.

viewers of his photos. “People can also

identify with the possibilities in a photo
featuring a silhouette of a child, or even
an adult: I remember that, or I’ve been in a
place like that, or I want to do that.”
Many of his Instagram photos these
days are taken with his Sony, but his
iPhone is still an important part of his
imaging. “You shoot with the camera you
have with you, and my iPhone is with
me all the time. You can shoot a pretty
strong photo with an iPhone, and as much
as a classically trained photographer
might disagree, an iPhone is fine for a lot
of commercial work. I’ve been hired by
people who knew I was shooting only with
my iPhone.”
And of course iPhone cameras
captured all those Instagram photos that
captured all that attention. Q

Eric Ward’s website is at littlecoal.com. His

Instagram username is @littlecoal. Google
Eric Ward Adorama to view the Adorama
TV episode that features his day at the
museum.
TOOLS / ASK A PRO

GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY? PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

AND PHOTOSHOP EXPERT SCOTT KELBY HAS GOT ANSWERS.
By Scott Kelby

I recently purchased a Sony A7R II and and you’ll see the Picture Styles you could capture light we can’t see, so the colors in
have enjoyed the switch to Sony ever have applied in camera as choices in this the resulting images wouldn’t look like what
since. That said, I have discovered an menu. In your case, choose “Landscape” from we’re used to seeing with our eyes. If you
“issue” with certain aspects of a mirrorless this pop-up menu and you’ll see those vivid want to shoot IR, you could have your cam-
setup. There are times I would like to take colors and contrast come back. era converted into an IR version, but then it
shots of a subject at night using a flash. will only shoot IR-style photos. A lot of pho-
The problem arises when using the EVF to I recently bought a Datacolor Spyder- tographers buy an older DSLR cheap (think
compose with settings that work for the 5PRO and with the bundle came Spyder- eBay) and have it converted to an IR camera.
exposure with flash. It is nearly impos- LENSCAL. How critical is the calibration of There are companies that specialize in IR
sible to see anything, as the EVF is just lenses when the images look good? Are conversions, like lifepixel.com or kolarivision.
black! I am sure this is not just a problem the results worth the time and trouble? com, and they’ll convert a camera you send
with Sony EVFs, but other mirrorless cam- Is the change in focus that great to really them, or you can buy an already converted
eras as well. Is there a button that you can affect the image outcome? Would you camera directly from them. That way, when
map, similar to the Nikon “Preview” func- recommend making an effort to do it for you want to shoot IR, you grab your IR
tion? Something that will “light” the EVF all my lenses? I have a Canon EOS 7D Mark camera; for everything else, you grab your
so you can see what you have within your II and am very satisfied with the images regular camera. I have an old Fuji that was
frame while composing would be perfect, from my 18-135mm lenses. converted to IR and it works like a charm.
but I do not recognize the function name
within the menus if there is one. Is this Although I haven’t used the Datacolor I am using a Nikon D750. I notice when
just an inherent “problem” with mirrorless SpyderLENSCAL, I have tried other lens the color red is in my shoots, it looks red
cameras with EVFs for now? calibrators and they can work if—and this is a with an orange tint. I have tried all of the
big if—your lens has a visible focus problem. white balance apparatus without success,
You’re in luck because there is such a For example, if you’re looking at images from and my monitors are calibrated. How can I
built-in feature for situations like this. I ran what was once a sharp lens and now they fix this problem?
into a similar situation while testing an A7R don’t look nearly as sharp. In your case, it
II in the studio: I couldn’t see my subject in sounds like there isn’t any type of focus When I used to shoot Nikon I experienced
the darkened studio using strobes. What issue, so I doubt you would see any notice- the same thing; there was even a term for
you’ll need to do is turn off the Live View Dis- able difference in sharpness after going it—we used to say our Nikons “bloomed” in
play setting, so it works more like an optical through the calibration process. If one day the reds. I believe it’s because Nikon sensors
viewfinder. Go to the Gear icon, then under you do notice a degrading focus from your are very sensitive to the color red, which
Live View Display, where it says “Setting 18-135mm lens, the good news is you have makes them awesome for landscape photog-
Effect ON/OFF,” set it to “OFF.” Now you’ll be a package that possibly could fix it. I say raphy, but not as awesome for rendering
able to see your subject at night before the “could” because lens softness issues aren’t skin tones in portraits—just my opinion. The
flash fires, so you can compose your image, always just calibration issues. way to get around that blooming in the reds
make sure you’re focused, etc. (with the orange tint) is to underexpose the
Why do the camera manufacturers image by around a 1/2 stop. The blooming
I’m shooting in Raw on my Canon EOS install an infrared blocking filter in their lessens and the reds look more correct.
6D. I like my greens and blues very vivid cameras? However, if you overexpose, those reds get
so I use the Landscape Picture Style. The really out of hand, so that’s what you might
photos look great when I view them on the Because without that blocking filter, the be experiencing. So, give the underexposing
LCD. However, when I import my images infrared (IR) light your camera’s sensor picks technique a try—you might even need to
into Lightroom they look much flatter and up, which isn’t visible to the naked eye, would underexpose by a full stop if you’re shooting
duller, and I fear that it’s not picking up contaminate the visible light being read by something like a robin or a rose. I really ex-
the Picture Style I’ve chosen. Is there a your sensor and mess up your regular color perienced my first serious bout of blooming
way I can make it honor my Picture Style images. In short, your camera’s sensor would when shooting a rose with Macro. Q
choice?
Scott Kelby is a photographer, Photoshop Guy, award-winning author of more than
Since you’re shooting in Raw, Lightroom 50 books, and CEO of KelbyOne, an online education community dedicated to helping
ignores your Picture Style choice in camera— photographers take the kinds of images they’ve always dreamed of. You can learn more
it only honors the choice for images taken about Scott at his daily blog (scottkelby.com), or follow him on Twitter: @scottkelby.
in JPEG mode—but you’re not out of luck. Go
to Lightroom’s Develop module, then scroll
Editor’s Note: Ask a Pro is a Q&A column from professional photographer, writer, and educator Scott
down to the Camera Calibration panel. Where Kelby. Scott is here to answer all your photography-related questions, so if you have something you’d
it says “Profile” you’ll see a pop-up menu to like to know, e-mail him at [email protected] (with “For Scott Kelby” as the subject line) and
the right. Click and hold on that pop-up menu your query could be featured in the next edition of Ask a Pro.

24 | JANUARY | 2018
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TOOLS / TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

SHUTTER TO THINK
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
CAMERA SHUTTERS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK By Seth Shostak

OF ALL THE COMPONENTS OF A

CAMERA, few are as iconic as the shutter.
The name of this magazine is testimony
to that.
However, it’s not likely you tax your
brain thinking deeply about shutter
mechanisms. You set a speed, you push a
button. Who needs to know the details?
Maybe you. Shutters affect more
than exposure. They can limit your flash
options, distort your pix, or possibly
lighten your wallet.
The earliest cameras didn’t have
shutters. Emulsions were slower than
continental drift, and making a snap was
anything but snappy. Lens caps served as
the original shutters, and even decades
later some cameras sported nothing
fancier than a metal flap that could be The complex guts of a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex II leaf shutter. Note that all this mechanism fits in the
swung off to the side of the lens. Cheap, “doughnut” surrounding the lens aperture.
reliable, and no annoying click.
By the late 19th century, dry plates during the time the shutter is open, even bombs, these fast shutter speeds are for
and baked emulsions greatly increased if that’s pretty short, say 1/1000 second. you. But there’s a price: Sure, the slit may
the speed of films, and suddenly exposure You may wonder why this is interesting— limit the exposure of any given pixel to,
times were well under a second. Few after all, the flash will freeze the motion, say, 1/8000 second, but it still takes 1/250
photogs were able to swing flaps or switch so who cares what the shutter speed is? second to cross the sensor. Fast-moving
lens caps in an eye blink, so pneumatic and Well, you will, if you’re using your flash objects can actually move as rapidly as
clockwork shutters were incorporated into outdoors to fill in faces, and want to reduce the slit, and appear bent or otherwise
cameras. the exposure of the background without unhealthy.
Today, three types of shutters are stopping the lens down too far. Furthermore, you can use a flash
common. The first are leaf shutters, Many cameras eschew leaf shutters for successfully only if you have the first
with metal blades that form a roughly the focal plane variety. Placed just in front curtain at, say, the top of the sensor and
circular aperture inside the lens, opening of the sensor (or film), these curtain-style the second curtain still at the bottom,
and closing when you punch the shutter shutters avoid the necessity of stuffing about to do its thing. That way the entire
release. These resemble the blades that each optic with fiddly hardware. One sensor will be exposed to the light from
control the f-stop, although typically there shutter, generously included with your the flash, not just a slit.
are only five blades, compared to the eight camera, serves all lenses. In other words, your top shutter speed
or nine common for aperture control. Leaf The first focal plane shutters for flash can be a relatively low 1/250
shutters are pretty fast, able to do their debuted at about the time workers began second or so. And as noted, that can be a
open-and-shut thing as quickly as 1/1500 constructing the Brooklyn Bridge. They bummer.
second or less. were made of wood, and gravity powered. The third type of shutter? NO shutter!
In order to forestall the middle of the Today’s curtains are of thinner stuff, That’s right: Your smartphone’s camera
photo getting more exposure than the plastic, metal, or fabric, and move either is shutter challenged. How does it do it?
edges (because the central part of the vertically or horizontally across the sensor Tune in next time. Q
shutter is open longer), leaf shutters have in about 1/250 second. Faster shutter
to be close to the lens, and not where the speeds are arranged by having a second Seth Shostak is an astronomer at the SETI
sensor is. The commonplace downside curtain that follows the first. This scheme Institute who thinks photography is one of
of this requirement is that every lens in then forms a slit that passes in front of humanity’s greatest inventions. His photos
your bag needs its own shutter. That can the sensor, and the exposure for any part have been used in countless magazines and
increase both the weight and cost of your of that sensor can be impressively brief: newspapers, and he occasionally tries to
© Bob Cadloff

optics. 1/8000 second or thereabouts. impress folks by noting that he built his first
But there’s an upside to leaf shutters. So, if your pictorial penchant is to make darkroom at age 11. You can find him on
It’s easy to arrange circuitry to fire a flash photos of cheetahs or exploding water both Facebook and Twitter.

26 | JANUARY | 2018
TOOLS / THE GOODS
LITTLE STUD
Canon proves that good things can come
in small packages with the PowerShot G1
X Mark III camera. Canon stuffs a 24.2MP
DSLR-size APS-C sensor inside the G1 X
III’s compact camera body that’s about
the size and weight of the svelte G5 X
from 2015, which it resembles. The G1 X
III’s CMOS imaging sensor is the same one
that’s in the Canon EOS 80D DSLR and the
Canon EOS M6 mirrorless camera. Canon’s
previous “flagship” model in the G-series
line, the G1 X Mark II has a larger and
heavier camera body, and is fitted with a
1.5-inch sensor just a fraction of the size of
an APS-C chip. The G1 X III has a 24-70mm
equivalent lens with an aperture range of
f/2.8-5.6 and Optical Image Stabilization
(OIS), and while that’s shorter and a bit
slower than the previous model’s lens,
that’s how Canon has been able to make can shoot at approximately 7 frames per shooting; and Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth
the big-chipped new camera so small and second (fps), or up to 9 fps with AF fixed. capability.
light. The new Canon G1 X III also adds Other features include a drip-proof body; a Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III
faster Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus (AF) three-inch vari-angle touchscreen LCD on $1,299
usa.canon.com
technology and a DIGIC 7 processor, and back; Touch and Drag AF; 1080p HD movie

“THE RX10 IV ALSO BOASTS WHAT SONY IS

CALLING THE ‘WORLD’S FASTEST’ AUTOFOCUS
SPEED AND CAN SHOOT 4K VIDEO WITH FULL PIXEL
READOUT WITHOUT PIXEL BINNING.”

LONG RANGER
Looking for the ultimate all-in-one camera
for capturing sports and wildlife? Sony may
have created it with the RX10 IV, which
has a massive built-in superzoom lens and
a frame rate twice as fast as even some
of the speediest professional DSLRs. The
20.1MP Sony RX10 IV features a 24-600mm
f/2.4-4 zoom lens and can shoot at 24
frames per second continuously with full
autofocus/autoexposure tracking. The
RX10 IV also boasts what Sony is calling
the “world’s fastest” autofocus speed and
can shoot 4K video with full pixel readout
without pixel binning. For a digital camera
that can fit in the palm of your hand, those
specs are impressive. Also new to the
RX10 IV, which is the follow-up to the RX10
III from a few years ago, is a new hybrid
autofocus (AF) system, which combines
phase- and contrast-detection AF for faster
focusing. (The previous camera’s contrast-
detection AF was notoriously slow.) And
while many superzoom cameras on the
market use tiny imaging sensors, the RX10
IV has a one-inch type, 20.1MP Exmor RS LCD screen on back with touch focus; a Sony RX10 IV
CMOS stacked image sensor for crisper dust- and moisture-resistant camera body; $1,700
sony.com
images. There’s also a three-inch tilting and Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth.

28 | JANUARY | 2018
 FASTER TRACKER
We like what Fujifilm has done with the
rangefinder-style X-E3 mirrorless camera.
One of the lower priced and most compact
models in Fujifilm’s X-Series line, it’s like
a junior version of the top-of-the-line
X-Pro2. The X-E3 is even smaller and more
lightweight than its predecessor, the X-E2,
but adds Fujifilm’s latest 24.3MP X-Trans
CMOS III image sensor; their X-Processor
Pro high-speed image processing engine;
and the ability to shoot 4K video. What
might be most noteworthy about this
retro-looking digital camera though is
its revamped autofocus system, which
offers faster autofocus tracking for moving
subjects thanks, in part, to a larger phase-
detection AF area. Fujifilm has also added
a new image recognition algorithm to the
X-E3, which the company says lets it track
moving subjects half the size or moving
twice as fast as previous models. The
overall speed of the camera has increased,
too: the start-up time is just 0.4 seconds; Fujifilm X-E3
autofocus speed is a mere 0.06 seconds; $899, body only; $1,149 with 23mm kit lens
fujifilmusa.com
and shutter lag is just 0.05 seconds.

“FUJIFILM HAS ALSO ADDED A NEW IMAGE RECOGNITION

ALGORITHM TO THE X-E3, WHICH THE COMPANY SAYS
LETS IT TRACK MOVING SUBJECTS HALF THE SIZE OR
MOVING TWICE AS FAST AS PREVIOUS MODELS.”

ENTRY LEVELER
If you want to get your feet wet with
mirrorless cameras, the Olympus OM-D
E-M10 Mark III is a great place to start.
This compact, retro-style shooter uses a
16MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and has
built-in 5-Axis Image Stabilization offering
four steps of correction for handshake.
And while it is, technically, an entry-level
camera with a relatively affordable price
tag, it can shoot 4K video at 30p, which
is a feature some higher-end competing
models don’t offer. There’s also a three-inch
touch panel, tilt screen on back; a faster
TruePic VIII image processor inside; a 121-
point autofocus system; 8.6 frames per
second max burst shooting; and an auto
ISO range of 100-6400. While none of these
features are revolutionary, for a camera
that sells for just a hair under $650, they’re
surprisingly solid.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
$649
getolympus.com

THE GOODS spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there. If you have a product you’d like considered for The Goods, e-mail images and info to [email protected].

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 29
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90 f2 Summicron E++ .............. $799 NC2 prism E ............................... $49 Mamiya C330 Pro E+ .............. $179
X-E2 E ...................................... $319 90 f2.8 II Elmarit NM ............. $1099 PME E++ .................................. $289 Mamiya C330 Pro F + 80 E+ ... $399
X-Pro 2 NM ............................ $1419 90 f2.8 Elmarit-M NM ............ $1199 PME90 E++ .............................. $499 Mamiya 55 f4.5 E .................... $149
XT-1 E+ .................................... $559 90 f4 Elmar-C E++.................... $399 Ext tube E+ ................................ $49 Mamiya 180 Super E+............. $169
X100S E .................................... $629 90 f4 Elmar collap. E++ ........... $299 Polaroid back E+ ....................... $39 Rolleicord E+ ........................... $199
X100T E+ ................................. $739 90 f4 Macro-Elmar E++ ......... $2599 Rolleiflex Standard (1938) E+ .. $349
135 f2.8 Elmarit E++ ................ $399 Rolleiflex Automat E++............ $329
135 f4 Elmar E++ ..................... $199
135 f4 Tele-Elmar E++.............. $499 Mamiya 645 Rolleiflex 2.8F 12/24 E ........... $1999
Yashica A Grey E++ ................ $149
Nikon 135 f4.5 Hektor E........................ $95 M645 Kit E+ ............................. $249
Yashica Mat 124G E++............ $399
FM2 E....................................... $169 28-35-50 f4 Tri-Elmar E++ ...... $4999 45 f2.8 C E ............................... $169
F3HP E+ ................................... $199 Finder 21 24 28 E+................... $279 120 f4 Macro NM .................... $399
D3100 E+ ................................. $179 Universal Polarizing M M ........ $299 150 f3.5 C E+ ............................. $79
D5100 E++ ............................... $199 Handgrip M 14405 M ................ $99 150 f3.5 N E+ ............................. $99 Large Format
D700 E+ ................................... $679 Handgrip 14486 M9 blk M ...... $129 Pro 120 back E+ ........................ $49 150 f5.6 Symmar-S E+ ............. $199
AF 20 f2.8 D E+ ........................ $329 Motor M NM ............................ $399 Polaroid Pro back E+ ................. $49 180 f5.6 Makro Sym HM E+ .... $799
AF 105 f2.8 Micro VR E+ ......... $699 210 f6.3 Computar E++ ........... $199
AF-S 50 f1.4 E++ ...................... $279 210 f6.3 Geronar E+ ................ $189
AF 85 f1.4 D E+ ........................ $699
AF-S 105 f2.8 Micro VR E++ .... $699
Leica R Mamiya RB 10 ¾” f5 IB E ............................. $349
30cm f4.5 Heliar E+ ................. $599
R3MOT E .................................... $69 RB67 Pro kit E+......................... $249
AF-S 16-35 f4 VR NM ............... $849 RB67 Pro S kit E+ ...................... $249 12” f6.8 Dagor E ....................... $249
R4 E............................................ $89
AF-S 24-70 f2.8 NM ................ $1249 RB67 Pro SD E........................... $199 Calumet Rail 4x5 E+ ................. $99
R4S E+ ...................................... $139
AF-S 28-300 G E++ ................... $709 RB 150 f4 SF C discs E+ ............ $129 Cambo SC 4x5 E+ ................... $149
R6.2 E++ .................................. $499
AF-S 28-70 f2.8D E++ ............... $799 RB 180 f4.5 C E .......................... $79 Sinar F 4x5 E+.......................... $199
R7 E+ ....................................... $299
Speedlight SB-800 E+ ............... $199 RB 250 f4.5 E ............................ $119 Toyo 45CX 4x5 E ..................... $169
35 f2 Summicron E++ ............ $1299
50 f2 E+ .................................... $399 RB Ext tube 1 E+ ........................ $39
180 f2.8 E+ ............................... $349 RB 120 Pro S back E ................... $49
RB Polaroid back E+ .................. $49
Leica Screw 280 f2.8 APO-Telyt NM .......... $3299
28-70 f3.5-4.5 ROM NM ........... $599 RB Prism E .................................. $35
IIc Sharkskin E+ ....................... $299 RZ 50mm f4.5 ULD Vg ............. $599
35-70 f3.5 E+ ............................ $299
IIIa E ........................................ $199
IIIb E+ ...................................... $399
IIIc E ......................................... $199
IIIf E++ ..................................... $299 Bronica Pentax
IIIg E- ....................................... $599 ETRS Kit E+ ............................... $299 645 45 f2.8 FA NM ................... $399
3.5 f3.5 Elmar E++ ................... $299 ETR 40 F2.8 MC E++ ................ $159 645 120 f4 Macro E++ ............. $219
3.5 f3.5 Summaron fog E+ ....... $249 ETR 75 f2.8 MC E+ ..................... $49 645 2X Rear NM ........................ $89

Call or check out our full selection of used gear at natcam.com

 TOOLS / GEARED UP
« This image was shot with a Canon EOS 60D
converted to infrared by LifePixel using the
predecessor to Tamron’s 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II
VC HLD lens, my AF 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di-II SP LD
Aspherical IF. It was shot at 11mm with an
exposure of 1/160 second at f/16 and ISO 800.
The Raw file was converted to monochrome with
Silver Efex Pro.

17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED lens ($1,951). But if

they can live with the 15-30mm equivalent
of the Nikkor 10-20mm using the camera’s
Auto DX Crop option, it’s a bargain. And at
8.11 ounces, it’s lighter than the 17-35mm’s
1.64 pounds.
Why I Like It: Producing a 15-30mm
equivalent focal length range, it will
be appreciated by those shooting the
outdoors, nature, and car shows, plus
photographers using an infrared-
© Joe Farace

converted DX body.
The optical design of Canon’s EF
16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens ($1,099) uses
three aspherical elements, including
an aspherical element and two ultra-

WIDE EYES
MY FAVORITE WIDE-ANGLE LENSES FOR OUTDOOR
PHOTOGRAPHY By Joe Farace
low dispersion elements, to minimize
chromatic aberrations and maximize
sharpness. To reduce flare and ghosting
and maintain contrast, a fluorine coating
is applied to front and rear lens surfaces.
An Optical Image Stabilizer minimizes
camera shake for up to four stops. A ring-
type Ultrasonic Motor is used with internal
“Nature is a vast, chaotic collection of shapes. You as an artist create configurations out of focusing to maintain the lens’s overall
chaos.”—Ansel Adams length. When used with the optional 77mm
Protect filter ($59) it produces dust- and
IT PROBABLY WON’T SURPRISE YOU THAT MORE PHOTOGRAPHS are made out of water-resistant protection in challenging
doors than indoors. When shooting outdoors—particularly with infrared-converted weather conditions. This L-series lens can
cameras—I prefer using wide-angle lenses because they produce a dynamic perspective, be used with full-frame or APS-C-sensor
especially in situations where you can’t back up far enough to capture expansive vistas. DSLRs to create a 25.6-56mm equivalent
The terms angle of view or field of view describe how much of a scene a lens can capture. focal length range. Bokeh fans looking
A “normal” lens covers an angle of view of 50 to 25 degrees but the focal length of a wide- for an aesthetic out-of-focus quality will
angle lens is shorter and its field of view typically covers between 100 to 60 degrees, be pleased with the nine-blade circular
with super-wide-angle lenses covering up to 180 degrees. Tip: Be sure to use a lens hood! diaphragm.
Capturing large chunks of sky in your photographs increases the chance of flare. Who’s It For: Canon shooters looking for
the build and optical quality of L-series
When shopping for a wide-angle lens, size is 72mm and while the lens is not that lenses (and expect to pay for it).
presented for your approval, is a collection expensive, protecting it with Nikon’s Clear Why I Like It: It’s a great lens. APS-C
of my favorite (mostly) zoom lenses to NC filter ($69) would be a good idea when Canon shooters looking for a bargain
expand your view of the world. shooting in areas with blowing sand or might check out the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-
other environmental hazards. 5.6 IS STM: at $299, it is image stabilized
THE DSLR OPTIONS Who’s It For: Full-frame shooters and offers the field of view of a 16-28.8mm
Nikon’s AF-P DX Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5- might prefer Nikon’s AF-S Zoom-Nikkor lens.
5.6G VR lens ($306) offers 3.5 stops of
vibration reduction, letting you capture
sharp(er) images hand-held or in low light.
Several Nikons, including the D500 that
has a DxO score of 83mm, use the smaller
DX (24x16mm) sensor. The lens has three
aspherical elements to produce minimal
distortion even at the widest focal length.
It uses Pulse Motor technology for fast,
quiet AF operation that’s useful for
recording video. The angle of view covered
is 109 to 70 degrees and the lens will focus
to 8.6 inches for close-up work. The filter

32 | JANUARY | 2018
Focal Length: 400mm Exposure: F/9 1/2000sec ISO: 200

18-400 Di II VC HLD
Powerful performance that exceeds
your imagination.
mm
World's first* 22.2x ultra-telephoto high-power
zoom lens. Capture thrilling close-up action in a snap.
*For APS-C Digital DSLRs (May 2017; Tamron)

18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Model B028)

For Canon and Nikon mounts
Di II: For APS-C format DSLR cameras

ONLY AVAILABLE AT YOUR

www.tamron-usa.com AUTHORIZED TAMRON USA RETAILER
TOOLS / GEARED UP
The 19-ounce Olympus M.Zuiko
Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO ($1,299)
is a 14-28mm equivalent lens with two
aspherical ED elements, one dual super
aspherical element, one aspherical
element, three Super ED elements, one
ED element, and two high-refractive
index elements to minimize aberrations,
distortion, and color fringing. A ZERO
(Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical)
coating controls flare and ghosting. It’s
dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof
for challenging weather. The built-in lens
hood should prevent flare, with protection
from inadvertent impacts on the
protruding front element. The lens has a
Movie & Still Compatible autofocus system
for smooth, quiet operation. It boasts an
L-Fn button with 27 assignable functions,
manual focus clutch, and a built-in focus
distance meter. The rounded seven-blade
While many shooters like the flexibility fluorine coating to protect against dust, diaphragm should delight bokeh fans.
of zooms, some prefer the low-light dirt, and smearing. Even though this is a Who’s It For: Micro Four Thirds shooters
performance of prime focal length lenses. modestly priced lens, I think something looking for a quality weatherproof
Sigma’s 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens ($1,599) like Hoya’s 77mm UV Haze NXT HMC zoom with the build quality and optical
is part of their Art line that uses FLD and filter ($53) is a good investment. A rounded performance to produce top-drawer
SLD glass elements to control chromatic seven-blade diaphragm should produce images.
aberrations and color fringing. Four pleasing bokeh. It’s compatible with the Why I Like It: Its angle of view is 114 to 75
aspherical elements reduce distortion optional TAP-in Console ($59) for fine- degrees and the Olympus PRO series lenses
and spherical aberrations for improved tuning focus and updating lens firmware. are easily equal to Panasonic’s Leica-
sharpness and a Super Multi-Layer designed lenses, which brings me to…
Coating is applied to elements to suppress
lens flare and ghosting. The Hyper Sonic
Motor provides fast, smooth AF, allowing
manual override and focusing as close as
10.6 inches. The lens is designed for full-
frame Canon, Nikon, and Sigma DSLRs,
but can also be used with APS-C models.
To fine-tune focus parameters and other
lens characteristics, it’s compatible with
Sigma’s optional USB Dock ($59).
Who’s It For: Canon, Nikon, and Sigma
shooters looking for low-light performance
in a wide-angle lens. It should find a home Who’s It For: Canon and Nikon shooters Panasonic’s Leica DG Vario-Elmarit
with music scene and street shooters. with APS-C cameras looking for an 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH lens ($1,097) is a
Why I Like It: Sigma’s Art series of lenses affordable wide-angle zoom with a wide 16-36mm equivalent lens for Micro Four
have become a standard of excellence angle of view (108 to 60 degrees). Thirds cameras, producing an angle of
that matches and often exceeds the build Why I Like It: It’s a well-made, relatively view of 107 to 62 degrees. The Leica-
quality performance of lenses from the Big lightweight lens (15.5 ounces) with a zoom designed lens uses one ED aspherical
Two. range I like for infrared photography. It element, three aspherical elements, two
Tamron’s 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II includes a HB023 lens hood that’s useful extra-low dispersion elements, and one
VC HLD lens ($499) is designed for APS- since IR photography can have flare if ultra high-refractive index element to
C-format Canon and Nikon DSLRs. To you’re not shooting at high noon. control fringing and aberrations. A Nano
suppress both chromatic and spherical Surface Coating minimizes flare and
aberrations, it has two low dispersion THE MIRRORLESS OPTIONS ghosting and Panasonic includes a nice
elements and two aspherical elements. A While the Big Two’s efforts with metal lens hood. The lens is splashproof,
BBAR coating is used to reduce reflections, mirrorless cameras have been half-hearted dustproof, and freezeproof, which is quite
flare, and ghosting. The lens offers at best, I must confess that Mary loves beneficial when working in inclement
four stops of vibration compensation to her Nikon Series 1 camera, calling it her weather. The rounded seven-blade
minimize camera shake. Its close-focusing “art camera.” Fortunately, real mirrorless diaphragm should produce pleasing
capabilities let you capture images at 9.4 camera makers have been hard at work bokeh. Wide-angle shooters on a budget
inches. The lens is sealed and moisture- making wide-angle lenses for outdoor might consider Panasonic’s Lumix G Vario
resistant and the front lens element has a photography enthusiasts. 7-14mm f/4 ASPH lens ($897) that has an

34 | JANUARY | 2018
TOOLS / GEARED UP

angle of view of 114 to 75 degrees. Ignore aberrations. An HT-EBC multilayer

“A NANO AR COATING IS
APPLIED TO INDIVIDUAL
its clunky built-in lens hood. coating minimizes ghosting and lens flare
Who’s It For: Leicaphiles and Micro Four with an additional coating applied to the
Thirds shooters who demand the best rear side of the front-most element to ELEMENTS TO REDUCE
build and optical quality in their lenses. reduce ghosting that’s common to lenses SURFACE REFLECTIONS,
Why I Like It: It’s a beautifully
constructed lens despite its fast maximum
with deep concave elements. An internal
focusing mechanism maintains the overall
FLARE, AND GHOSTING.”
aperture turning into f/4 at about 8.5mm. lens length during focus. A seven-blade
There are more details about it in my review rounded diaphragm should please bokeh Sony’s FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens ($1,698)
for the “Mirrorless Photo Tips” blog. enthusiasts. The front measures 72mm so is designed for the company’s full-frame
When used with Fujifilm’s APS-C a filter like Hoya’s 72mm EVO Antistatic E-mount mirrorless cameras and is
mirrorless cameras, the XF 10-24mm f/4 Protector ($74) might be a wise investment. compatible with APS-C models where it
R OIS lens ($999) produces a focal length Who’s It For: Wide-angle shooters will produces an 18-36mm equivalent focal
range of 15-36mm. Its Optical Image like the lens’s angle of view (110 to 61.2 length range. Optical design uses one
Stabilization (OIS) system minimizes degrees) and while not a macro lens, Super ED and three ED elements to control
camera shake when shooting at slow the 9.4-inch close-focusing capability chromatic aberrations and four aspherical
shutter speeds, although Fuji’s specs don’t enhances its versatility for nature and elements to manage spherical aberrations.
say by how many stops. To be fair, when outdoor photography. A Nano AR Coating is applied to individual
working with lenses this wide OIS isn’t as Why I Like It: I have not shot or tested elements to reduce surface reflections,
big a deal as it is in longer focal lengths. a Fuji camera in a long, long time (2005), flare, and ghosting. The lens’s curved front
Four aspherical elements and three extra- but owners appear rhapsodic over them, so element precludes the use of a protective
low dispersion elements reduce chromatic this lens should make them even happier. filter. The lens has an angle of view of 122
to 84 degrees with an 11.02-inch close-
focusing capability. It’s dust- and moisture-
resistant and has a focus hold button.
Who’s It For: Sony shooters looking for a
high quality, fast wide-angle zoom.
Why I Like It: While I haven’t tested
a Fuji camera in a while, I’ve never
used a Sony mirrorless camera. But like
Fuji shooters, Sony aficionados seem
enthusiastic about these cameras. Q

Living in Colorado and especially on Daisy

Hill, Joe Farace is surrounded by the Great
Outdoors on a daily basis. There is always
a camera with lens attached sitting next to
his computer; today it’s a Panasonic Lumix
GH4 but is just as likely to be an Olympus
mirrorless camera or one of his Canon
DSLRs. Information about the gear he uses
can also be found on his websites/blogs,
joefarace.com and mirrorlessphototips.
com. If you enjoy photographing cars,
you’ll find something of interest at
joefaraceshootscars.com.

36 | JANUARY | 2018
LAB REVIEW LAB TEST RESULTS & COMMENTS: STILL & VIDEO

YI M1 MIRRORLESS CAMERA
Lab Review lab tests and comments supplied by BetterNet, a TIPA-affiliated testing lab. Edited by George Schaub
Shutterbug is the sole U.S. representative within TIPA, a worldwide association of photo and imaging magazines.

« The YI M1 is a very compact camera that offers

an interchangeable lens system and is based on
Micro Four Thirds sensor technology. It offers a
resolution of 20MP and is able to record 4K video.

The camera has no integrated flash system but

offers a standard hot shoe for external flash
systems.

IN 2016, YI TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCED it would be developing a new mirrorless camera

based on the Micro Four Thirds sensor standard. YI Technology is primarily known
for action cameras or IP web cameras, but wanted to get into the photography camera
business and launched the M1 mirrorless digital camera this year.
The three-inch screen on the back is used to set
The YI M1 launch was accompanied by second dial—which is also seamlessly up nearly all parameters as well as two additional
function buttons and a parameter dial on top.
two new Micro Four Thirds lens systems. integrated into the top of the camera—is
We did our tests with their zoom lens, used as a parameter dial. There are only
the 12-40mm f/3.5-5.6. In addition, YI two additional function buttons on the
Technology offers a 42.5mm f/1.8 lens as back, so to change nearly all parameters
a portrait lens. Because of the crop factor and settings the user will need to use the
of the M1, this lens is equivalent to a high- touchscreen on the back.
speed 90mm focal length. During the test The M1’s three-inch screen offers 1.04
we also used a Panasonic Lumix G Vario million RGB dots, a standard LCD screen in
14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH / POWER O.I.S., size and resolution. The first button on the
which worked well with the camera. back is used as a playback button to present
images and videos on the screen: the second
FEATURES, BUILD & HANDLING button is used for AF modes (for example,
The YI M1 mirrorless camera uses a single AF area or multi AF area mode).
20MP sensor with 5184x3888 pixels. It The screen on the back of the M1 The YI M1 has a stylish design. This test was done
offers an additional image mode that will camera is used as the main menu. It is with the YI zoom lens that offers a focal length of
12-40mm (equivalent: 24-80mm due to 2x crop
interpolate this data to create a 50MP file. split into three basic “panels” or “index factor of the Micro Four Thirds sensor).
We do note that compared to the camera- cards.” To toggle between these cards
interpolated file the Raw file interpolation the photographer uses gesture control, setup dial on the top to the scene mode.
in Adobe Photoshop is superior. The familiar to smartphone photographers
camera records Raw images in DNG (swipe to the left and right). A touch on COMMENTS ON IMAGE QUALITY
format, thus the M1 Raw files can be the desired icon will open its settings. To Color: The white balance system of the YI
converted and optimized in nearly every change these settings the photographer M1 works very well. The GretagMacbeth
imaging software program. can use the parameter dial on the top or chart was reproduced with very neutral
In contrast to many other Micro Four the touchscreen. colors. All gray patterns are located
Thirds mirrorless cameras, the handling Besides the standard exposure modes exactly in the center of the chart. However,
of the YI M1 is based on its LCD screen (P, S, A, and M), the YI M1 offers scene image saturation is a little low. The mean
and gesture control. The M1 camera has a modes like “portrait shot,” “landscape,” color saturation in this chart is 93.82%:
mode dial on the top that offers standard or “firework.” To get access to all of these nevertheless, the camera creates very
exposure modes like P, S, A, and M. A modes the photographer has to switch the natural-looking colors.

38 | JANUARY | 2018
LAB REVIEW

Still and video results are similar. The white balance system of the YI M1
worked very well. The GretagMacbeth chart was reproduced with very
neutral colors. All gray patterns are located exactly in the center of the
chart.

« The YI M1 offers a Sharpness: The YI M1 reproduced the

single card slot that is ISO 12.233 chart with 3,384 of 3,888
compatible to modern
SD cards like SD, SDHC, lines per picture height, which is a very
and SDXC.
good result. Sharpness is high, but is also
enhanced and intensified by the image
processor. The Imatest showed a very
“hard” graph in the contrast lines, where
we noticed sharpening effects like a double
contour line between black and white
elements. This causes a slightly artificial
and “digital” look in JPEG images: using
the Raw file format will prevent these
effects.
Noise: The YI M1 showed a good
performance in our noise tests. Up to ISO
speed 25,600 the y-factor is below 1.0%.
But the camera sometimes cancels out
this good result by use of very intense
anti-noise filtering, which can blur image
details.
Dynamic range is on an average level
for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The M1
achieved a maximum of 10.3 f/stops at
ISO 200, but dynamic range drops to 8-9
f/stops in higher ISO speeds and shows a
significant loss in its maximum ISO speed
setting.

COMMENTS ON VIDEO FUNCTIONS

The YI M1 is able to record 4K video in
a UHD resolution of 3840x2160 pixels.
In addition, it offers a more “exotic” 2K
mode with 2048x1536 pixels and Full
HD recording with 1920x1080 pixels. Its
4K recordings are done at 30 frames per
second (fps) while Full HD mode offers 60
fps. The camera uses the MP4 file format
with H.264 compression to save video clips
onto its SD card.
To start video recording the
photographer has to use the additional
The automatic exposure system worked well. The YI M1 created a well-balanced version of our
standard test box. The exaggerated contrast lines are noticeable in the center of the Siemens star on record button on the top (marked with a
the left. red dot), located in the center of the mode

40 | JANUARY | 2018
 LAB REVIEW
)RUWKH6WXGLR « The YI M1 showed nice
3RVLQJ&KDLU skin tones and a good
3RVLQJ6WRRO differentiation of red
nuances in our portrait
3RVLQJ7DEOH shot. The intense
)RUPHUO\&30'HOWD,QF %DE\3RVHU sharpness filtering done
6WXGLR7DEOH by the image processor
/LJKW 0RYHU creates a slightly
6\VWHPV *UD\&DUG artificial look in fine
6FLVVRUDQGRU /LJKW6WDQG$GDSWHUV structures like the hair.
7HOHVFRSH &ODPSV
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/HQV&ORWK
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UPDATE
YI Technology has

8QLTXH V\VWHP WKDW 6LQJOH$UP released new 3.0
SURYLGHVD KHOSLQJ KDQG 'XDO&ODPS firmware for the
 M1 camera, which
'XDO$UP the company says
7ULSOH &ODPS addresses the JPEG

issues, improves

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autofocus time and
$UPZ&ODPS response as well
 as adding manual
exposure settings
in video mode. The
new firmware can be
downloaded at this link:
https://goo.gl/JC5uw8.

dial. By pressing this button the camera only minor shifts of colors compared to its
automatically switches into Auto mode— given values.
irrespective of the chosen photo mode. The M1 camera doesn’t offer manual
Changing ISO speed mode isn’t allowed. exposure settings in video mode so we
)RUWKH'DUNURRP The photographer is able to correct can only provide a single result for noise
3OXPELQJ.LWV autoexposure settings by using the EV results and dynamic range tests. Our
)LOWHU&DUWULGJHV 7KH2ULJLQDO compensation (by 5 EV stops). videos were shot at ISO 200 and show an
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6SUD\+RVH
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%ODFN2XW&ORWK The YI M1 performed well in our video The YI M1 mirrorless camera sells for
3ULQW6FDOH tests, but also showed some issues. $299, body only. The YI 42.5mm F1.8 lens
3KRWR'U\LQJ%RRNV The ISO 12.233 chart was reproduced with Macro Mode sells for $199. For more
&DPHO+DLU%UXVK with 1,747 of 2,160 lines per picture information, visit yitechnology.com.
)LOP&OLSV
height, which is an excellent result. But
([KDXVW)DQ
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6DIHOLJKWV based on an intense sharpness filtering i Very compact camera
-XPER -XQLRU and an artificial boosting of contrast i Compatible with Micro Four Thirds lenses
)URP i Very affordable
reproduction by the camera. In Full HD
i Comfortable handling for photographers
mode the look is more natural: the M1 who are used to smartphone control
:DWHU7HPSHUDWXUH reproduced this test chart with 888 of
&RQWUROV
6HYHUDO0RGHOV 1,080 lines. CONS
)URP We do note that when using the zoom i Missing viewfinder
function of the camera the AF system gets i Missing integrated flash system
i Image quality in JPEG mode shows
a little confused as it attempts to correct
some issues
the settings, which all cameras do to an
extent, but we feel that this performed
worse than simple camcorders. The LAB REVIEW is where we publish web-exclusive lab
$%6'DUNURRP6LQNV reports on cameras. To read more Lab Reviews, please
)RXU VL[IRRWOHQJWKV color reproduction is similar to color go to the Shutterbug homepage at Shutterbug.com
)URP reproduction in photo mode. The white and click on the Reviews tab on the top navigation bar.
New photo gear reports are published frequently, so
balance setting is nearly perfect: there are check Reviews for more equipment evaluations.
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LAB REVIEW LAB TEST RESULTS & COMMENTS: STILL & VIDEO

CANON EOS REBEL SL2

Lab Review lab tests and comments supplied by Image Engineering, Shutterbug ’s new TIPA-affiliated testing lab. Edited by George Schaub
Shutterbug is the sole U.S. representative within TIPA, a worldwide association of photo and imaging magazines.

The SL2 offers all the usual connectivity

options, including Wi-Fi, NFC, and
Bluetooth, plus has a DIGIC 7 image
processor. The “native” ISO range is 100 to
25,600. It can capture video at Full HD 60p
and has an external microphone input.
The SL2 can be purchased in three
different colors: conventional black, white
with a pale gray grip, or silver with a burnt
umber grip. The EF-S 18-55mm IS STM
kit lens is available in a choice of black or
silver. Retail price, including the kit lens,
is $699.
As a DSLR aimed at amateurs, the SL2
comes with features for those who want to
learn more about photography while still
being able to make use of preprogrammed
and automatic functions. Its Feature
Assistant function, for example, can be
used as a tutorial to understand shooting
modes and image effects. It has a very wide
assortment of what are dubbed as “zones,”
including all the usual exposure modes
and scene modes, plus Special Scene,
Creative Filters, such as various HDR
THE CANON EOS REBEL SL2 is a small and lightweight entry-level DSLR: modes, and more.
4.82x3.65x2.75 inches in size and weighing in at 16 ounces without the lens (including Let’s take a closer look at how this
the battery and memory card). The SL2 features a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor and a entry-level DSLR from Canon performs in
vari-angle touchscreen three-inch LCD. It also sports Dual Pixel CMOS AF with phase this Lab Review.
detection and has a low-pass filter.
FEATURES, BUILD & HANDLING
While small and light, the Canon EOS
Rebel SL2’s deep right-side grip means the
body is also comfortable for large hands,
although those very attributes do not
convey a robust feel to the camera. The
covers over the HDMI mini and USB jacks
are lightweight rubber and hard to get
back into place after opening. The single
SD card slot is under the same cover as the
battery. The swivel monitor (180 degrees;
tilt to 270 degrees) does grant broad
flexibility for shooting with a creative
point of view, including selfies. The
monitor has a touchscreen function: one
finger tap can trigger focus, and another
tap releases the shutter.
However, this focus-and-shoot function
is very sensitive and can be triggered
accidentally while handling the camera. It
is difficult to focus more than once using
the SL2’s touchscreen without triggering
a shot: we suggest moving the focus point
in Live View by using the “cross keys”
buttons. Fortunately, it is possible to turn
The Canon EOS Rebel SL2 menu differs depending on the shooting mode selected. A quick menu is
off the touchscreen shutter release via the
also available and settings can be altered using the touchscreen. menu.

44 | JANUARY | 2018
LAB REVIEW

“THE SL2’S MONITOR COVERS 100% OF

THE IMAGE, WHILE THE OPTICAL VIEWFINDER
COVERS APPROXIMATELY 95%.”

The camera offers a tilt and swivel monitor with touchscreen capability.

The SL2’s monitor covers 100% of

the image, while the optical viewfinder
covers approximately 95%. The optical
viewfinder is easy to use and bright
enough for a good view. It shows the nine
autofocus points available for autofocus
through the finder. Shutter speed and
aperture are not difficult to reach while
composing with the viewfinder. However,
Live View shooting provides more options
in terms of information displayed and
compositional aids such as a rule-of-thirds
grid—not to mention 49 autofocus points.
The SL2 has an abbreviated version of
a standard Canon menu, complete with
colored tabs and a tiny title to the right to
indicate the subsection. The main menu
has a different form and number of options
offered depending on whether the camera
is set to a “creative mode,” a “basic” (more
programmed) mode, or to video. For
example, in basic mode, only six items can
be set directly in the main “shoot” menu,
compared to 15 in the playback menu
(including options better done on a larger
screen, such as cropping, which permits
copying of a portion of the image at
predetermined proportions). In “creative
mode,” the menu offers 23 options in the
“shoot” section of the main menu. The
camera also offers a (“Q”) quick menu and
button shortcuts. The top view shows the dial for selecting the types of shooting, from basic to “creative.”

46 | JANUARY | 2018
 ®

Santa Cruz, California

LAB REVIEW

A test scene lit at 6500K shot at ISO 100, f/8, and automatic white balance; focus point on the Siemens star in the center.

The SL2 offers a small pop-up flash consistent recording level up to ISO 1600, making of good videos. For example, ISO
and a flash hot shoe, but no other flash where it drops to 89%. As ISOs increase, and exposure can both be set to automatic,
connection. The pop-up flash flickers on resolution drops: at ISO 12,800, for making it more likely that the video scenes
to illuminate dark scenes for autofocus in example, it decreases to 72%. will be acceptably lit. If a compatible
a manner similar to the red-eye reduction Sharpness: There is only moderate LED-equipped Speedlite is attached, the
pre-flash flash. This autofocus lighting sharpening of the image during camera will turn on the LED capability
is unwieldy and extremely obvious. processing, although sharpening at low- during low-light filming. If shooting video
Fortunately, it can be turned off. Flash contrast edges is higher than at high- in “basic mode,” the camera will attempt
exposure can be locked: flash exposure contrast edges. The sharpening at ISO 100 to analyze the scene and match settings
compensation and slow sync are also does not look artificial. to solve any possible problems, including
available with the built-in flash and a Noise: When viewed at 100%, the SL2 backlit and spotlit subjects. Creative
compatible Canon Speedlite. images all show observable noise, but in filters and HDR give the user the option of
The SL2 has a number of exposure small amounts. At ISO settings higher making unusual videos, such as black and
options ranging from manual to fully than 100 the visual noise is moderate and white and time-lapse.
automated. There are several metering actually better than the previous Canon A formatted SDXC card will permit
options, including real-time evaluative entry in this category, the SL1. videos to be saved as a single file even
metering using the image sensor, as well Dynamic Range: More than 10 f/stops if it is larger than 4GB. On SD or SDHC
as partial metering, center-weighted (10.8 at ISO 100 and 10.2 at ISO 800). At cards, these videos will be split into
average metering, and spot metering. One higher ISO settings it drops considerably: separate files. Videos are all subject to
can set exposure bracketing and high- 7.6 f/stops at ISO 6400 and 5.5 at ISO the maximum of one second short of 30
speed shooting (max shutter speed 1/4000 25,600. minutes in a single clip. This is where one
second; max fps: 5). Color: Very good with few deviations from is most likely to notice the lack of faster
There are numerous custom functions “real” color. Automatic white balance (UHS-II) SD cards: the manual mentions
and modes: “highlight tone,” for example, delivers consistent results throughout the that a slow SD card may overload the
can be used to extend the dynamic range. ISO 100 to 6400 range. camera buffer, and the video will stop to
HDR is also available through various Speed: Up to 5 fps in both Raw and JPEG allow the files to be written.
preprogrammed exposure options, as well formats, which is fine for the targeted user, There is an external microphone
as through “filters.” The filters process but the camera slows down after 10 shots jack and fairly good sound pickup—
JPEGs right in the camera. They can in JPEG and six in Raw. Start-up time is perhaps even too sensitive: during our
also be applied in-camera to both JPEGs 0.4 seconds; AF in bright light takes 0.19 testing it picked up keyboard clicks in a
and Raw images after the shot has been seconds, with a shutter release (lag) time room next to the test area. There is no
recorded, in which case the camera saves of 0.11 seconds. Live View AF in bright headphone jack. Playback in-camera is
an edited copy of the image. light and low light is nearly identical: 0.52 very acceptable, although we recommend
seconds and 0.55 seconds, respectively. connecting to a TV for better playback.
STILL IMAGE QUALITY & PERFORMANCE Resolution of a frame grab from the
Resolution: The Canon EOS Rebel SL2’s VIDEO FEATURES & QUALITY video is 491 line pairs per picture height,
24.2MP sensor records 1,828 line pairs The Canon EOS Rebel SL2’s video 91% of the theoretical 100% sensor
per picture height, 91% of the theoretical recording option is easy to use and a capability. It drops slightly at higher ISOs.
maximum, and maintains a fairly number of automatic functions aid in the Sharpening is slightly stronger than in

48 | JANUARY | 2018
LAB REVIEW

« This portrait was

made at ISO 400 and
f/8 using automatic
white balance. Colors
are moderate and
pleasant, with no major
deviations from given
values.

stills, but still very acceptable. Visual noise is observable in the

darkest areas of the image. Dynamic range is similar although
slightly lower than observed in stills (9 f/stops at low ISO
settings). Color results are similar to those of still images.

CONCLUSION
The Canon EOS Rebel SL2 is a very functional and portable entry-
level DSLR, which is easy to fit into a camera bag (or even a large
coat pocket) and use. It is clearly directed at users who may wish
to learn a little more about photography. Many photography and
video features are available in the SL2, although not all functions
are sophisticated or particularly well designed. The more the
user explores this small DSLR, however, the more functionality
he or she is likely to discover. The guided modes could assist a
beginner in getting a sense of exposure, how to use menus, and
how to make good use of the camera’s many features. There are
jacks available for a remote trigger, HDMI mini, and USB 2.0. The
camera can also be connected via Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi. A
separate GPS receiver, or a smartphone connected via Bluetooth,
permits location data to be added to photos. Q

The Canon EOS Rebel SL2 sells as a kit with the EF-S 18-55mm IS
STM lens for a list price of $699. For more information, visit usa.
canon.com.
SCORECARD

PROS
i Very moderate sharpening gives images a natural look
i Good dynamic range: above 10 f/stops up to ISO 800
i Consistent color and auto white balance performance up to ISO 6400
i Highly affordable for beginner and amateur photographers
i Easy video recording

CONS
i Noticeable artifacts at ISO 1600 and above
i Slowdown of recording after 10 JPEG and six Raw images in continuous
mode
i No headphone jack for video recording

EDITOR’S NOTE: This Lab Review is based on test data and comments supplied by
Image Engineering, Shutterbug’s new TIPA-affiliated testing lab. Known worldwide
as a leader in the development of advanced testing procedures and manufacturer of
ISO-standard testing equipment, Image Engineering is an independent testing lab
that specializes in rigorous testing of products for the photo and imaging industries.
Test comments are edited by George Schaub, a member of TIPA’s Technical
Committee.
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TOOLS / FIELD REVIEW
And then there are the robust video
capabilities of the D850 that make it a
great tool for multimedia professionals.
So exactly who is the target user for this
versatile $3,300 DSLR? The conclusion I
came to, after two days of shooting in and
around Oregon’s beautiful Brasada Ranch,
is “just about everyone.” For my trip to
Oregon to test the Nikon D850, I joined
a bunch of photography press types on a
varied itinerary that included everything
from stunning sunrises and sunsets to
gorgeous landscape settings, water scenes
along the Deschutes River, and high-speed
action activities with fearless kayakers and
motocross riders tearing up the dirt.
And as I’ll explain below, the
versatile new Nikon D850 DSLR handled
everything we threw at it with acumen. So
let’s take a look.

BUILD QUALITY & HANDLING

NIKON D850
My first thought after picking up the
Nikon D850 was that it wasn’t nearly
as large or hefty as I expected—perhaps
because the new D850 shares the same
autofocus system and many of the
A FULL-FRAME 45.7MP DSLR DESIGNED TO DO JUST capabilities of Nikon’s flagship $6,500
ABOUT EVERYTHING By Ron Leach 20.8MP D5 DSLR. While the top-of-the-
line D5 weighs in at two pounds, 11.6
(Editor’s Note: With this Field Review, the Nikon D850 has received Shutterbug’s ounces, and measures 6.3x6.3x3.7 inches,
Top Clicks award for exhibiting exceptional quality. Read about our Top Clicks the very capable D850 is a much more
awards at this URL: http://bit.ly/2tnl0ny.) shoulder-friendly two pounds, three
ounces, and measures 5.8x4.9x3.1 inches.
ONE KEY TASK WHEN REVIEWING A NEW CAMERA is to answer the important Even though I haven’t done much
question “Who’s it for?” This challenge is a bit more difficult than usual with Nikon’s shooting with Nikon DSLRs lately, I was
new D850 DSLR, because this powerful camera is one that defies classification. immediately comfortable with the feel and
Upon a cursory glance at the specs, you’d assume that this 45.7MP full-frame camera control layout of the new D850. The D850
is ideal for landscape shooters and others for whom maximum resolution is a primary is the successor to Nikon’s D810, yet when
consideration. But once you experience the D850’s high-speed processing, blazing it comes to ergonomics, control layout, and
autofocus, and rapid burst rate, you think, “maybe this is a great camera for sports/action design, this new full-frame camera has
photographers.” more in common with the popular Nikon
D500. And many Nikon shooters would say
that’s a good thing.
The D850’s versatile tilting
touchscreen offers the most functionality
of any camera Nikon has produced thus
far, and can be used for navigating and
setting menus, shooting still photos and
videos in Live View mode, and playback.
And for photographers like me who love
shooting from a low perspective, the tilting
capabilities of this bright 3.2-inch LCD are
particularly helpful.
One factor that could have proved
problematic when shooting in Oregon were
the numerous wildfires ravaging the state
and the ever-present dust and ash in the
Photos © Ron Leach

air. But while the decreased visibility on

the horizon did somewhat disguise the
beautiful mountains that are typically
visible in the distance, the dirty air was no
threat to the ruggedly built Nikon D850.

52 | JANUARY | 2018
The camera features a robust magnesium
body that’s carefully sealed to protect
against dirt, moisture, and in this case,
fine ash.

PERFORMANCE
Obviously, one of the headline features
of the new D850 is its high-resolution
45.7MP FX-format back-side illuminated
(BSI) CMOS sensor with a native ISO
range of 64-25,600 that can be expanded
to ISO 102,400. The D850 is Nikon’s first
full-frame camera with a BSI sensor. And
according to Nikon, the D850 boasts the
lowest base ISO (ISO 64) of any current
DSLR or mirrorless camera.
What all this technical talk implies is
optimum color rendition, image quality,
and low-light performance. I was very
pleased with my results, even while
shooting JPEG files to save processing
time on the trip. Whether photographing
the sunrise at spectacular Smith Rock, This image demonstrates the full range of tones, from white to black, the D850 was able to render
or shooting action sports under harsh, while using a high sensitivity setting of ISO 1600. The photograph was originally shot in color, and
converted to black and white in Photoshop. Technical info: Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED
midday light, the D850 delivered clean VR lens; ISO 1600, f/9, 1/25 second.
images with good dynamic range and
plenty of fine detail in both shadows and
highlights.
One reason I found shooting fast-
moving kayakers and motocross riders so
much fun with the D850 is the camera’s
superb autofocus system, which as we said
above, was borrowed from Nikon’s flagship
D5. It was really hard to miss a shot,
thanks to the D850’s 153-point AF array—
99 of which are cross-type focus points (as
compared to just 15 on the earlier Nikon
D810 with its 51-point AF system).
All of the D850’s focus points work
in light as low as -3 EV, while the center
point is effective down to -4 EV. The
D850 boasts a capture rate of 7 frames per
second (fps) at full resolution and when
shooting action we set the camera to its
Group Area AF array with consistent
results. The camera’s capture rate can be
increased to 9 fps by using the optional
Nikon MB-D18 battery pack and battery.
I was very pleased with the beautiful color rendition in this image captured as the sun was setting over
I was also very pleased with the low the Brasada Ranch that was our home on this trip. As a side note, I learned a harsh lesson moments
noise attributes of the Nikon D850 while after making this shot: Never lean into a wire fence surrounding a horse pasture, because it’s very
likely electrified and you’ll receive a big jolt. Technical info: Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED
shooting sunrises and sunsets under VR lens; ISO 1600, f/4.5, 1/800 second.
low-light conditions—a capability of the
camera that Nikon credits to both its new videos to fast wireless image transfer and while Medium scales back to 25.6MP and
sensor and latest-generation EXPEED 5 an optional ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter Small reduces file size further to 11.4MP.
processor. And with the aforementioned -4 Set that turns the camera into a scanner Despite all the advantages of the D850’s
EV capability, the D850 can nail focus in for copying both slides and negatives. tilting touchscreen in Live View mode, I
near darkness. One in-camera capability that many did most of my shooting with the camera’s
photographers will find very useful excellent 0.75x optical viewfinder that
OTHER KEY FEATURES for streamlining their post-processing Nikon says is their widest and brightest
Befitting a camera that is a true all- workflow is the option the D850 offers for ever. Composing shots through the
rounder, the Nikon D850 offers a variety switching between three sizes of Raw files viewfinder was a real pleasure—especially
of additional features and accessories for depending upon one’s needs. The Large when bright lighting conditions rendered
everything from 4K in-camera time-lapse size uses the camera’s full 45.7MP file, the LCD less than ideal.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 53
TOOLS / FIELD REVIEW
« Photographing kayakers running Class 4 rapids
on Oregon’s famed Deschutes River was a real
blast with the high-performance D850, which
boasts a 7 fps capture rate at full resolution. That
said, when shooting sports I usually prefer to
anticipate the peak of action and bang off a
couple of quick shots—rather than laying on the
shutter button in High Continuous mode and
blasting away. Technical info: Nikon D850, AF-S
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens; ISO 800,
f/11, 1/2000 second.

Another cool feature of the D850 is

a Focus Shift mode designed for scenes
where maximum depth of field is essential.
This works by letting you set the distance
increments you choose for capturing as
many as 300 shots automatically in a
dedicated folder. Then, with third-party
focus-stacking software, you can merge
the shots into a final image with almost
unlimited depth of field.
Another very helpful feature is the
D850’s Live View AF Fine Tune mode that
enables you to quickly and precisely adjust
the camera’s AF system to the specific
Nikkor lenses in your arsenal. The result is
optimal sharpness for each lens you own.
I didn’t take time during the trip to avail
myself of this capability, but if I owned a
D850 this is one of the first things I’d do.

BATTERY AND MEMORY

While battery performance isn’t typically
on my list of features to rave about when
reviewing a new camera, Nikon makes
a big deal about the energy efficiency of
the D850 with its EN-EN15a battery. And
with good reason. Nikon says that a fully
charged battery will deliver up to 1,840
shots at full resolution (or 70 minutes of
video).
I inadvertently put this claim to the
test by leaving at dawn for a full day and
early evening of shooting, with my spare
battery on the charger back at the ranch.
And I needn’t have worried, because after
hundreds of photographs I had plenty of
power left by the time I returned to my
room.
There’s no shortage of memory options
with the D850 either, as it features two
card slots: one for standard SD cards
and another for faster XQD cards that
are designed to maximize the camera’s
giant files and keep the buffer clear while
shooting at high burst rates. It’s a simple
matter to configure the camera for which
card you want to be the primary one, while
reserving the other for overflow or backup.

« I really appreciated the fast, accurate autofocus

system of the D850 that was borrowed from
Nikon’s flagship D5. While photographing high-
flying motocross riders, I set the camera to its
Group Area AF array, and focus acquisition was
consistently precise and virtually instantaneous.
Technical info: Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor
24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens; ISO 320, f/5, 1/4000
second.

54 | JANUARY | 2018
 At first I forgot that Nikon loaned me
a card reader that accepted cards of both
formats, so I spent the first day using the
SD card as my primary. After realizing I
had the necessary card reader, I switched
to the XQD card and immediately noticed
the difference.

VIDEO CAPABILITIES
I’ll admit it: I’m not a videographer and
confined my two days with the Nikon
D850 to shooting still images. But for
those for whom video is a key concern, or
those who shoot both stills and video, the
new D850 has a lot to offer.
While there are mirrorless cameras
that offer 4K video using the full width
of their sensors, the D850 is Nikon’s first
full-frame DSLR to do so. As a point of
comparison, there’s a 1.5 crop factor when
shooting 4K video with Nikon’s flagship Smith Rock in central Oregon’s high desert is a spectacular place for photography, and it also draws
hikers, backpackers, and rock climbers from across the globe. I couldn’t have been happier with the
D5. On the other hand, the D850 does offer gorgeous colors and range of tones captured by the D850 in the many images I shot at this stunning
site shortly after dawn. Technical info: Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens; ISO 640,
crop options if you want them, from Super f/4.5, 1/500 second.
35 to DX Crop at ultra-high-resolution 4K.
Many of the features of the D850’s
tilting touchscreen when shooting photos
in Live View mode are also available when
shooting video, including the ability to set
a specific focus point by simply tapping
the screen at the desired spot during
recording. And when shooting video in the
manual focus mode, the D850 offers focus-
peaking confirmation at high, medium,
or low settings with a choice of four color
highlights (white, red, yellow, or blue).
Another advanced feature of the
D850 is its capability to create stunning
in-camera 4K and 8K time-lapse videos
with very smooth transitions—with
sequences using up to 9,999 full-resolution
stills.

CONCLUSION
Suffice it to say, the new Nikon D850
full-frame DSLR is a sophisticated and
very versatile imaging tool with the rare
combination of features that make it an
ideal choice for the photo enthusiast and
pro looking for one camera that can do just
about everything. Landscape photographers
will love the results from this camera’s
45.7MP full-frame sensor that permits them
to do some creative cropping and still end
up with a large file. Sports photographers
will appreciate the D850’s high-speed
performance—even at full resolution—and
its fast and precise focus acquisition, while
videographers may think the D850 was
designed specifically for them. In short, if
you’re looking for a camera than can do any
This image was made shortly after dawn under sweet light, and the D850 captured the beautiful colors
or all of these things, and do them extremely and soft light exactly as they appeared. The haze you see in the distance, caused by wildfires in the
well, the new $3,300 Nikon D850 is well area, obscured mountains that ordinarily would have been visible in the distance. The dust in the air
was no threat to the rugged D850, which is thoroughly sealed against dirt and moisture. Technical
worth your attention. Q info: Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens; ISO 640, f/4.5, 1/800 second.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 55
TOOLS / FIELD REVIEW
« THE INTERFACE
Featured at the 2017 Chicago Air & Water Show,
the US Navy Blue Angels are shown in this
screenshot representing the Library panel and
general Capture One Pro 10 interface (which I
modified). Each panel is represented by an icon:
this one for image management and filtered
searches, with most panels dedicated to editing
Raw files, another for “Process Recipes” (output),
and one more for keywording and metadata.
Icons at the very top are each a shortcut to
various tools and processes.

it is, you’re not generating real copies that

eat up storage space. These are merely sets
of instructions that take up a minimum of
real estate.

NEW ENHANCEMENTS
There’s nothing earth-shattering about
Capture One Pro 10’s new and improved

CAPTURE ONE PRO 10 features. Not to lessen the value of this

software or its latest iteration, this is one
application that evolves over time, without
PHASE ONE’S RAW IMAGE-EDITING SOFTWARE IS NOW making groundbreaking developments
EASIER TO USE WITH IMPROVED FEATURES By Jack Neubart from one year to the next. Of course, you
may see it differently. However, I’m simply
CAPTURE ONE PRO, WHICH AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING IS IN VERSION 10, is a reviewing the software in terms of my
top-echelon Raw image processor and editor, courtesy of the people behind Phase One ability to edit my Raw files competently,
cameras and backs. For this software review, I tried Capture One Pro 10 out on images and even convincingly, which I feel this
shot with various cameras, ranging from Nikon to Canon to Phase One. Testing was done software has helped me achieve in a
with an Apple iMac operating under OS X El Capitan, with 16GB RAM and 500MB VRAM, manner I could not do before in Adobe
and driven by an Intel i7 processor. To say I had no problems getting the software to do my Lightroom.
bidding with this somewhat basic hardware configuration is an understatement. Capture For starters, Version 10 is touted as
One Pro 10 performed almost flawlessly. This software is also available for Windows, and offering a smoother, more user-friendly
in several versions, including one specifically for Sony camera users. (Editor’s Note: Since experience over previous iterations. That
this review was completed, Phase One was slated to release Version 11 of Capture One Pro, may be true, since I found myself taking to
though upgrades and additions were reportedly only minor.) Capture as never before. (My most recent
Capture experience dates back to Version
“NONDESTRUCTIVE” EDITING High-level Raw processors also let you 8.2, although I have used even earlier
The key to Raw image processing is generate virtual copies, or “Variants,” in releases.)
“nondestructive” editing, meaning you can Capture One parlance. In this way you Beyond that, sharpening tools
always start over or backtrack with no ill can capture snapshots at various stages have been enhanced with Diffraction
consequences. The fabric of the original of editing or take these copies in entirely Correction under Lens Correction and
file remains intact. This nondestructive different directions. For example, one a Halo Suppression slider under the
editing differentiates such applications variation might be quietly monochromatic, Sharpening tool. You do see a difference
from pixel-level editors such as Adobe while bold colors assault our senses in an when correcting for diffraction with shots
Photoshop. alternative rendering. And the beauty of made at very small apertures. Does Halo
Photos © Jack Neubart

SIMPLE LAYER MASK: A DEER OUT OF THE SHADOWS

I had originally given up on this shot, but Capture One Pro 10 gave me the opportunity to rescue this young deer from oblivion. Without using other
exposure/tonal control tools, I simply focused on the shadowy deer. In separate layers, I brought up shadow detail, and corrected WB for the shaded part of
the animal and separately for the prominent ear. I then also corrected WB for the shot overall. WB readings were taken off the white tufts of hair. Technical
info: Nikon D500, Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 G2 lens; ISO 1600, f/6.3, 1/1250 second.

56 | JANUARY | 2018
DIGITAL RETOUCHING: THE MODEL AND THE FISHERMAN
I photographed the beautiful Maria on a beach on Curacao, with flash. Unfortunately, I overexposed the backdrop of sea and sky, and that guy fishing didn’t
help the picture. The first adjustment layer addressed the intruder in the shot. With him gone, I focused on restoring tonal values to the rest of the scene,
which included such tools as Tone Curve and High Dynamic Range. The Color Balance, Color Editor, and WB tools also played a role to flavor the scene
surrounding the model. Technical info: Canon EOS 5D (Classic), Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens; ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/200 second.

Suppression help or hinder? It helps, in a

“YOU CAN FASHION stacking order to arrive at the best effect.
subtle way. However, don’t take it too far
or you’ll lose the gains in sharpening (view YOUR OWN STYLES You may, however, find that stacking has
an unwanted effect, motivating you to
the image at 100%). AND PRESETS. IT’S backtrack and perhaps start over. I prefer
Other enhancements may go beyond REALLY QUITE SIMPLE. to implement one Style per image, but
the typical needs of our readers, focusing
I’VE CREATED NUMEROUS that’s not carved in stone. Mousing over

STYLES FOR BOTH

largely on tethered cameras and technical a Preset or Style temporarily updates the
camera use, along with one that involves image to reflect the effect.
an optional editing console that pretty COLOR AND BLACK AND You can fashion your own Styles
much addresses professional retouchers WHITE—OFTEN WITH and Presets. It’s really quite simple. I’ve
and commercial photographers. And Fuji
users will no doubt appreciate improved
DRAMATIC EFFECT.” created numerous Styles for both color
and black and white—often with dramatic
X-Trans support. effect. Before saving any Style, test it out
like me, you’ll want to customize and on numerous images. Done correctly, a
MANAGING YOUR IMAGE LIBRARY finesse your desktop, putting the most Style is often a one-click solution to image
The first thing you have to do is decide needed adjustment settings, or “tools,” enhancement—although a few tweaks may
how you’re going to work with Capture at your immediate disposal and clearing be in order. If you’re only addressing a white
Pro One 10, in Catalogs or Sessions. Phase the screen of unneeded elements. White balance or black-and-white adjustment,
One explains that “Catalogs are designed Balance (WB), Exposure, High Dynamic for example, then save that as a Preset
as an asset management system for larger Range, Black & White, Styles and Presets, under the applicable tool. Use Presets only
collections of pictures or permanent and Clarity are just a few of the tools, each after applying a Style, so the Style doesn’t
projects.” Or to look at it another way, with its own group of settings. Click on an accidentally overwrite the other settings.
Sessions is the old stratagem, whereas icon in the “tool tab” to call up a group of
Catalogs is the more up-to-date library related tools. There’s also a “toolbar,” with CONCLUSION
management chic within Capture—and, in another set of icons offering shortcuts. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to
my view, the way to go. You’ll need this for wend your way through Capture One Pro
starters. A FEW WORDS ABOUT STYLES 10’s editing tools. They are largely intuitive
The next step is to bring images with Similar to Presets in Lightroom, Capture and in some cases go well beyond what
similar themes, for example, together One Styles are designed to improve your Adobe Raw has to offer. Of course, one or
under one roof, into user collections such workflow. What might be confusing to two do require more effort to master, but if
as Albums (a virtual group of images— some is that Capture also has Presets. you’re moving up from a previous version
virtual, meaning, they’re referenced, not The difference is that a Style combines of Capture, the learning curve is minimal
duplicated) and Smart Albums (a filtered any variety of settings across any number at best.
collection of virtual images based on of tools, and may include Presets. Simply One thing you’ll notice immediately
selected search criteria). put, it’s more comprehensive than a Preset is that, whereas Capture does support
Capture also provides a comprehensive alone. (The software comes with its own numerous cameras and lenses, your
image management tool set, including set of Styles and Presets out of the box. favorite lenses may not be supported,
a rating system, keywording, and an New Styles Packs have been introduced, or the updated versions of those lenses
extensive search engine. In short, Capture tending to flavor the image subtly.) may lack profiles. You may be able to find
is the total package when it comes to image You can stack Styles one on top of a workaround in a related lens profile.
library management. another to modify the effects of either and For instance, most of my Tamron lenses
Upon launching Capture, you’re take the image further in one direction are not covered, and that goes for all my
presented with a basic workspace that or the other. The order in which you stack Tokina glass. (I’ve contacted Tamron
is efficient and practical. But, if you’re Styles does matter, so play around with the regarding this omission.)

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 57
TOOLS / FIELD REVIEW

USING STYLES: ADDING DRAMA TO A SCENE

This scene, at Indiana Dunes State Park overlooking Lake Michigan, simply lacked impact in color. I began with a black-and-white Style from the new User
Styles Pack, then modified the scene, from which I created my own custom Style (and saved as a User Style). The key tools here were Levels and High
Dynamic Range, both of which helped bring out the subtle crepuscular rays emanating from the sky. I also added an adjustment layer to separate the leaves
from the water near the horizon, which also removed the contrast edge artifacts (which resemble sharpening artifacts) surrounding these leaves, and
another adjustment layer to restore some detail to the tree trunk in the foreground. Clarity and Structure added some depth to the image. Technical info:
Nikon D500, Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 VC lens; ISO 160, f/8, 1/800 second.

58 | JANUARY | 2018
You can create virtual copies, or “Variants,” as snapshots or to test how different adjustments and Styles will play with the image.

One thing I’ve always admired about edit certain hues and tones. You really making adjustments, healing, or cloning
Capture is the option to analyze the image have to experience these settings to in a layer. Up to 16 layer masks can be used
file for chromatic aberration. This is so fully appreciate them. All I know is, I’ve with each image (more would be nice), and
much easier than trying to manually used them fairly extensively. Further you can copy one layer mask to another.
adjust individual sliders in Adobe Raw in adjustments are made through either or Not all settings are available under this
an effort to deal with the problem. There’s both the Tone Curve (“Curve,” in Capture) panel. For instance, you can use the Tone
also a separate slider specifically to and Levels tools. Even here Capture goes Curve on individual layered adjustments,
address purple fringing, something lacking the extra mile to give you tighter control but not Levels; the Color Editor, but not
in Adobe Raw entirely, at least by such over the image. the Color Balance tool; nor can you use
simple means. These corrections go a long Local Adjustments is another one of the Black & White tool settings. Frankly,
way toward making up for the lack of lens my favorites. This tool gives you a choice: I would like to see these excluded settings
profiles, though not entirely. applicable to Local Adjustments as well.
I was going to discuss my favorite PRICING FYI: There’s a separate tool for cleaning up
Capture tools, but there are so many Capture One Pro 10 (street): $299 (upgrade dust and other small spots, without adding
that I’ll have to limit that discussion to from Version 9: $99), via electronic layers, but I sometimes resort to healing
download. Subscription plans available.
just a few. Notable among these is the Sony version sold separately. For Mac and or cloning when this spotting tool fails to
Color Editor, which is a finely finessed Windows. Styles Packs for Capture One Pro correct the problem.
HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Lightness) 10 are available at the Phase One e-store: I spent many weeks fully immersing
phaseone.com/styles-store. Each Styles
adjustment. Here you have a color picker Pack is priced between $49 and $69. myself in Capture One Pro 10 and I
(aka eyedropper) that lets you selectively found that this software exceeded my
expectations when processing my Raw
MY CAPTURE ONE WISH LIST files. That said, I want even more from
Here’s what I’d like to see in a future release… this software (see sidebar, “My Capture
One Wish List”). Is all this enough for
i A Dehaze filter. It helps ameliorate the effects of haze and would be a welcome addition to
me to make the switch from Lightroom?
Capture One. I’m sure Capture could make this an even more effective tool than we see in other
Raw editors. Let’s just say that I’ve imported much of
i A drag tool, such as used in Lightroom, for HSL and tonal adjustments, which would make it my library into Capture and am using
easier to target specific tones and colors and adjust as needed, without always resorting to Lightroom less and less. The Styles and
sliders. Presets I’ve created in Capture have
i A Custom WB option in the drop-down list. Currently, you can set a Custom WB, but it’s only
opened my eyes to new possibilities and
shown transitorily. Change the setting and it’s gone, so that you have to repeat the step. Undo is
not always a reliable option. new dimensions where I dared not take my
i Contrast filters for black and white. A little added tonal control couldn’t hurt. images before—and to do so efficaciously
i Automatic keystone and level corrections for all Raw files the way Lightroom does, not just and convincingly. Q
proprietary files.
i A History panel, so you can easily backtrack editing for each image. Undo applies globally, and
can lead to confusion when working on more than one image or variant. Jack Neubart (jackneubart.com) has
i And of course more lens profiles would be appreciated. Some lenses have been out for several authored numerous books and articles on
years, and Capture is still playing catch-up. photography over the years.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 59
TECHNIQUES / PRO'S CHOICE

AFRAID OF TIME
“One early morning I ventured out in some beautifully foggy and eerily calm conditions to explore a local woodland and spotted this tree. Its moss-laden
branches appeared to be glowing under a delicate light that funneled down from an opening in the forest canopy.” Technical info: Sony A7 II, FE 16-35mm f/4
ZA OSS lens; ISO 100, f/5.6, 1 second.

INTO THE WOODS

atmospheric and creates an experience that
can be peaceful or even creepy. Whatever
the experience is, I very much enjoy having
that story behind the image.”
SIMON BAXTER GOES DEEP TO CAPTURE HIS MOODY He loves what he describes as “the
IMAGES OF NATURE By Jack Neubart softness of light you can get from a foggy
woodland. The sun trying to break
WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY and mystery of a forest enshrouded by mist through mist offers amazing light.” Given
in the early dawn. But few of us manage to capture the haunting quality of the scene. a choice, he’d choose flat light over harsh
Even fewer of us go out before dawn to capture that alluring, mystical light that shapes sunlight.
the forest and which the forest in turn shapes. We tend to look for the obvious, charging
forward, impatiently forcing our vision upon the scene. Photographer Simon Baxter LIFE HAS A WAY OF SHAPING OUR VISION
takes a decidedly different tack. He allows nature to reveal itself to him, one quietly One defining moment that shaped Baxter’s
evanescent moment at a time. photography was a back injury several
years ago. Instead of letting the injury
HOW BAXTER VISUALIZES HIS studying every nuanced texture and form hamper his photographic pursuits, Baxter
WOODLAND LIGHTING and the light that envelops them. not only turned it around into a force for
We, as photographers, are often taught As Baxter explains, he sees the scene his creative vision, but he found himself
to recognize the way light wraps itself as “a moment in time when the balance exploring his native woodlands with even
around three-dimensional objects to give of light, color, and mood complement the greater depth and sensitivity.
Photos © Simon Baxter

them form, to study the shadows these physical elements in the scene. Mist and fog An early riser, Baxter is on the scene
forms cast, and to exploit that relationship are often the key ingredients for capturing at the crack of dawn, if not earlier. The
of light and shadow. Baxter sees that light mood, adding mystery, creating soft light, early morning drive is a short one, the
and takes it even further. He comes upon decluttering the scene, and enhancing remaining hours spent exploring on foot
the scene with careful deliberation, slowly depth. A foggy woodland is incredibly with his dog Meg.

60 | JANUARY | 2018
DISTANT DALE
“Following a photography trip to Scotland, I had a much better appreciation for shooting in wet and moody conditions. I love the arrangement of boulders,
the remnants of an old stone wall, and the flow of the silver birch standing in solitude amongst the chaos in this shot. The fog and negative space provide
the separation and breathing room that the scene needs.” Technical info: Sony A7 II, FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens; ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/20 second.

As they step into the mist, Baxter is Baxter continues: “Other times,
BAXTER’S FAVORITE GEAR
driven to arrive at the scene he envisioned, the defining moment is very brief, “I’d say it has to be the combination of the
shooting that day before the sun’s rays when you witness an unexpected and tripod, ball head, and L-bracket. The tripod is a
dare penetrate to the forest floor. At that transient scene, such as the image I titled touch heavy but I love the height and stability
point in time, the moment would be lost. ‘Transient,’ which was taken looking down on soft ground combined with the flexibility
“Once the sun is up,” he notes, “the fog on a woodland as the morning sun beamed of an L-bracket.”
may lift and within an hour it’s an entirely through the drifting mist. It was a brief
different scene.” moment in time which I will probably
What exactly prompts his trigger finger never witness again.”
to make the exposure? “I guess it’s that
moment when you’re presented with the BAXTER’S WOODLAND EXPOSURE
scene you’ve envisaged, especially after TECHNIQUE
patiently waiting for weeks, months, or Low-light levels are not a problem, since
longer,” Baxter says. “For example, there’s he always shoots on a tripod, adding
an image in my very first vlog called ‘The spikes for stability in the soft ground.
Dysfunctional Family,’ which is a scene And he almost always shoots at ISO WHAT’S IN BAXTER’S GEAR BAG
I discovered in March 2016, but didn’t 100, with Cloudy WB (and occasionally i Sony A7 II mirrorless camera
photograph until December of that year. Daylight WB for cooler tones), primarily i Sony A6500 mirrorless camera for video
All it needed was the fog and soft light in aperture priority. Shutter speeds i Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS
shining through the woodland’s edge to the are of little concern on a calm day. “I’m i Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM (go-to lens)
i Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
right.” Of course, as he points out, waiting more concerned with the aperture and
i Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA
may have unforeseen consequences: key capturing all the detail which will then i DJI Mavic Pro drone
elements, such as a tree, may have fallen lead to a great print. However, I do shoot i Induro CLT304L Stealth tripod
in the interim, dashing your hopes for that in full manual mode when creating i FLM CB-38F ball head
once-in-a-lifetime image. panoramas.” i L-bracket

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 61
TECHNIQUES / PRO'S CHOICE

BAXTER’S TOP FIVE TIPS FOR

WOODLAND PHOTOGRAPHY
1. Shoot for yourself.
2. Explore and find locations that you can
call your own.
3. Be patient and persevere because
new shots can appear in a location just
when you’d thought you’d exhausted all
opportunities.
4. Composition is key, so try shooting with a
single prime lens. The constraint encourages
creativity, and slowing down the process
may allow you to see something you would
otherwise have missed.
5. Enjoy any kind of weather. Rain can do
wonderful things for color, reflected light,
texture, and mood.

“THERE’S NO NEED FOR

EXTENDED DEPTH OF
FIELD WHEN SHOOTING IN
FOG AS THE BACKGROUND
IS ALREADY SOFT.”
He adds: “I don’t think I ever take an
image above f/11 and most of the time it’s
around f/5.6 or thereabouts for general
woodland scenes. There’s no need for
extended depth of field when shooting in
fog as the background is already soft, so I
typically prefer to maintain that softness
and ensure crisp detail in my subject. I
also enjoy taking selective focus images
using a very shallow depth of field to
create woodland images that are a bit more
abstract or to add depth and separation
GLEN AFFRIC, SCOTLAND
“I love to find clusters of trees that show character, a seeming interaction, and individuality. I found when mist or fog is absent.”
this alluring family of Scots pine by chance as I trudged up a hillside through boggy terrain. Looking Specifically addressing the question
back towards the mountainous backdrop, I immediately noticed how the pines were nestled perfectly
inside the edges of the loch with the snow-capped peak towering high above. I had to wait for a light of how to expose for fog, Baxter expanded
snowfall to pass, but my patience was rewarded with a moment of light that I captured while huddled on his technique. “I try to expose as far
behind an umbrella for shelter from the wind.” Technical info: Sony A7 II, FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens; ISO
100, f/9, 1/20 second. to the right as possible without blowing
out the highlights so that I have as much
control as possible in post-processing.
That also explains my preference for
excluding the sky in my woodland shots, as
it makes it easier to create a more balanced
exposure. I try to use the histogram as
much as possible, rather than rely on the
camera’s metering but sometimes I’ll also
bracket exposures if I feel the dynamic
range justifies it. I often find that I don’t
need to blend the bracketed exposures in
post-processing but, if I do, then Adobe
Lightroom CC makes it very easy.”

« THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY

The contorted tree trunks, seemingly supportive
of each other on the one hand through their
similarity of line, yet contradictory at the same
time as they frame the scene, were clearly the
inspiration behind this shot. “Every so often,
while exploring woodland, you’ll come across a
grouping of trees that has the kind of character
and relationship that helps to make a compelling
image.” Technical info: Sony A7 II, FE 24-70mm
f/2.8 GM lens; ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/8 second.

62 | JANUARY | 2018
TRANSIENT
“The lower ground around Derwent Water was misty, but I soon broke through the top of the inversion as I walked up Catbells in the darkness on an autumn
morning.” Simon Baxter waited until just the right moment, when the mist started to disperse under a rising sun, leading to what he refers to as “transient
moments of light, shadow, and mood in the shifting landscape.” Technical info: Sony A7 II, FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens; ISO 100, f/9, 1/125 second.

INTO THE WOODS WE GO

Simon Baxter’s moody, introspective
woodland photography is simply inspiring,
deriving largely from an appreciation
and understanding of the territory he
explores in a studied, unhurried fashion.
Baxter eschews vibrant colors and harsh
contrasts, preferring instead to infuse
each image with a quiet stillness that
comes alive through a combination of soft
muted tones and textures. The images
are understated and almost ethereal.
He allows the viewer to take it all in, to
meditate on the image.
Yet at the same time, the images also
have a haunting quality. You ask yourself,
« FROSTED ROWAN
Baxter often walked dare I dawdle and be drawn further into
under this arching this scene, or should I move on? Yet you
rowan tree in the
North Yorkshire Moors, remain there—transfixed. Q
but this moment was
the showstopper. This
scene captures a rare, Simon Baxter operates out of North
localized hoarfrost,
with drifting fog Yorkshire, United Kingdom. To see more of
helping to separate his work and learn about his workshops, visit
the tree from the
background “while baxter.photos; Instagram: @baxter.photos.
adding a touch of
mood and mystery.”
Technical info: Sony A7 Jack Neubart (jackneubart.com) has
II, FE 24-70mm f/2.8
GM lens; ISO 100, f/9, authored numerous books and articles on
1/15 second. photography over the years.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 63
CREATIVITY / MAGIC MOMENTS

Blue Pond, Hokkaido, Japan. Photograph by Kent Shiraishi.

WAIT UNTIL DARK

DARK DESIGNS…
Both photographers were quick to
emphasize that in the available dark, the
key element is still light. “Photographers
AN INSPIRING NEW BOOK REMINDS US THAT THE NIGHT always respond to light,” Cook says, “and
TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY they judge the results by light.”
By Barry Tanenbaum The pictures chosen for the book
evidence light that is exceptional and
LET’S FACE IT: WE’VE ALL SEEN, taken, edited, judged, read, or written about so many intriguing, and if we’re looking for clues
photographs over so many years, sometimes we get…well, jaded. Then, if we’re lucky, to better night photographs, light is the
along comes something that delivers a jolting reminder of the surprise and delight place to start. “When you go out at night
photography is capable of delivering. to make pictures you’re looking for an idea
or a subject,” Jenshel says, “but you’re still
Night Vision: Magical Photographs of affinity for the magic of the dark. “We talk always responding to how the light looks in
Life After Dark is that something. Just about magic a lot in our introduction,” a picture. Sometimes it’ll be faithful, and
published by National Geographic Books, Jenshel says. “Our work is always trying to sometimes it’ll give you a surprise.”
the volume’s 200-plus photographs are be mysterious, magical, and metaphorical,
inspiring and imaginative examples of and with night time you get two of those …AND BEYOND
what’s possible when gifted, determined almost automatically; the magical and the Open any page in Night Vision and you’ll
photographers join the night shift. mysterious are so apparent and so tactile. see that darkness provides ambiance,
Landscape photographers Diane Cook We talk about the challenge in the sense background, mood, and mystery. But it’s not
and Len Jenshel wrote the foreword. of photographing what you don’t see—in enough: your choice of subject for maximum
“We’d done a number of assignments for moonlight you don’t see colors, only impact is crucial. It’s as important as
National Geographic magazine that had blacks, silvers, grays, and whites.” your photographic expertise, experience,
a significant number of night pictures in What the challenge yields is often and judgment. If the book communicates
them,” Cook explains, “including a whole unexpected. “The surprise can be anything, it’s that a compelling image starts
project on night gardens—which came breathtaking—so strange, so weird, and with subject and light.
from a personal project we’d been working weird and strange are good,” Jenshel says.
on. We kind of got to be known as the night “We cherish those moments, where after
specialists.” all the work we’ve done for so many years, Des Voeux Road, Hong Kong. »
The foreword quickly establishes their we’re still startled, still surprised.” Photograph by Stefan Mokrzecki.

64 | JANUARY | 2018
SHUTTERBUG.COM | 65
CREATIVITY / MAGIC MOMENTS

Snowfall in Shirakawa-go village, Japan. Photograph by Masaru Yamauchi. A moat in the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Photograph by JTB Media Creation.

“THERE ARE SO MANY

AVENUES YOU CAN TAKE
AN IMAGE AT NIGHT
AND COME UP WITH
SOMETHING REALLY
BEAUTIFUL.”
When it comes to subjects, Jenshel
notes a difference between their fine art
images and the photographs they take for
editorial assignments. “In the editorial
world, the subject may be even more
important,” Jenshel says, “and maybe
in the fine arts you can get away with a
picture being about process.”
While the photographs in Night Vision
depict a variety of locations and subjects,
and reflect an assortment of techniques
and treatments, Jenshel and Cook point
out that nearby, accessible locations
serve just as well, as does straightforward
image-making. One of their photos in the
book was taken in Westbury, New York,
which is not far from their home. It was a
two-hour exposure, on film, by the light of
a full moon. “We knew when there’d be a
full moon,” Cook says, “and we got the lake
and trees turning autumn colors.”

BETTER ODDS
Digital photography gives photographers
the advantage of much more control over
the process than film ever offered. “In
night photography, you’re still guessing
what you’re going to get,” Jenshel says,
“but with film you didn’t know for a while
whether you guessed right. Now you see
[the image] right away on your LCD screen
and can make an adjustment. It’s a little
too dark, maybe I want it a little lighter;
or let me adjust for this color; or make a
shutter speed adjustment for a little more
blur. You can really work [the image], right
The gazebo in Old Westbury Gardens, New York. Photograph by Diane Cook and Len Jenshel. there, on the spot.”

66 | JANUARY | 2018
Cars and a cowboy in a long exposure, Badlands, North Dakota. Photograph by Annie Griffiths.

“There are so many avenues you can

take an image at night and come up with
something really beautiful,” Cook adds.
“I think the book is very inspiring in a
number of ways, but one is certainly the
great diversity of what photographers are
choosing to photograph at night.”
I can only add that if art shows us the
world in a new way, the art of this book
captures anew the wonder of photography. Q

Night Vision: Magical Photographs of

Life After Dark, curated by Susan Tyler
Hitchcock, with a foreword by Diane Cook
and Len Jenshel, is published by National
Geographic Books. Cover image of the
Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay,
Singapore, by Peter Stewart. Diane Cook
and Len Jenshel’s website, featuring a
selection of images from their fine art
projects and editorial assignments, is at Manarola village on the Mediterranean coast, northern Italy. Photograph by Peter Stewart.
cookjenshel.com.

Fisherman on the Li River, Yangshuo, China. Photograph by Peter Stewart.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 67
CREATIVITY / PICTURE THIS!—READER’S ASSIGNMENT

TWIN LAKES MORNING

“One of those crazy, magic mornings: It was pretty much totally overcast and even just starting to rain, when the first—and only—rays of the rising sun shot
through a hole in the clouds and illuminated part of the mountains with the fall-colored aspens for about a minute,” Christoph Stopka writes. He used a
Nikon D810 and a Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens at 24mm, f/16, 0.8 seconds, ISO 64. © Christoph Stopka

OUR FAVORITE
READER PHOTOS:
REFLECTIONS
WHEN YOU REALLY START TO LOOK FOR
THEM, you’ll find reflections everywhere.
For this assignment, we wanted you to
capture reflections in a way that brought
out their beauty and art. As we said,
reflections are found in all sorts of places,
whether they occur in man-made things— » WINTER IN YOSEMITE
mirrors, swimming pools, sunglasses—or “A very cold day after
an overnight storm left
in the natural world, such as in lakes, frost and snow hanging
ponds, or pools of rainwater on the ground. in the trees well into
the afternoon,” Douglas
Often a popular subject for photographers, Croft says of this shot.
“This quiet reflection
reflections can sometimes seem overdone. on the Merced River
We asked that you made sure to find a new capped one of the most
amazing days I’ve ever
or unusual way to showcase reflections so spent in Yosemite
that they truly stood out. We also wanted Valley.” He captured it
with a Nikon D7000
your photos to, ahem, reflect your personal and a Nikkor
vision of the world and with these 10 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6
lens at ISO 400, f/5.6,
favorites from readers they certainly did. 1/1000 second.
© Douglas Croft
68 | JANUARY | 2018
MIRRORED VISION
“My camera bag bailed me out by holding these
glasses when I went to the lake to shoot a few
frames,” Elayne Bean explains. “Usually it only
supports me but for this photo, it is the star.” Shot
with a Canon EOS 7D and an EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-
5.6 IS STM lens at ISO 200, 1/60 second, f/5.6.
© Elayne Bean

« INTROSPECTION
“Last year I went to Portugal for the first time,”
Karen Seginak writes. “I had a wonderful time and
fell in love with this beautiful and interesting
country, but there were a few unexpected
challenges along the way that I had to struggle
through also. I stayed in a house with new friends
that was adjacent to an abandoned hotel.
Somewhat eerie looking if you viewed it in that
frame of mind, actually. One afternoon as I walked
around the grounds exploring, I decided to simply
point my camera into a window where there were
also multiple other windows and mirrors that I
could see. The unexpected result was this image,
which is an introspective view of myself and a
reflection of how I had to look within and reveal
some inner layers of myself on this adventure.
The image was captured with my trusty little
Canon PowerShot SX60 HS.”
© Karen Seginak

« BIG AND SMALL

“Snowy and Great White
Egrets hunting the same
tidal pool at Cattus Island
Park in Toms River, New
Jersey,” Roger Becker says.
“The reflections were
almost mirror perfect.” He
shot it with a Canon EOS 7D
at 400mm, f/10, 1/800
second, ISO 400.
© Roger Becker
SHUTTERBUG.COM | 69
CREATIVITY / PICTURE THIS!—READER’S ASSIGNMENT

THE CALM AFTER THE STORM

“I was out for an afternoon drive just to get out of the house. It had been storming all day and I noticed it was starting to break up,” Joshua T. Moore says
about this shot. “I made my way down to a dock on the James River just as the sun started to set behind the mountains in front of me. I had a CPL filter on
my lens and it helped keep detail I wanted into my photo.” He captured it with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 18mm, 1/13 second,
f/22, ISO 100.
© Joshua T. Moore

70 | JANUARY | 2018
» BLACK SKIMMER
“The late afternoon
conditions became perfect
at Fowler Beach, Delaware,
in the north section of
Prime Hook National
Wildlife Refuge on the
Delaware Bay,” Jon O. Clarke
writes. “Clear blue skies;
low, bright sun from the
rear; still wind and
reflective water; plus, most
importantly, Black
Skimmers feeding. These
highly-specialized birds are
summertime seasonal
migrants to the Mid-
Atlantic from as far away as
South America. With their
long wings and knife-blade
beak, they skim over the
water at astonishingly high
speed trying to contact
aquatic life with their lower
beak slicing through the
water. How do they keep
from breaking their necks
when they contact
something, such as a
submerged branch?
Answer: They reflexively
and instantaneously drop
their head so the beak
points backward as it snaps
shut on the prey, or more
often not prey. It is a low-
probability feeding
strategy, but spectacular to
watch.” He shot it with a
Nikon D7100 and a Nikkor
600mm f/4 lens at 1/500
second, f/5.6, ISO 400.
© Jon O. Clarke
CREATIVITY / PICTURE THIS!—READER’S ASSIGNMENT

FOGGY REEDS
“I ventured out in the early morning heavy fog hanging over the lake,” Lynne A. Kasey recalls of this image. “My hope was that it would burn off and I would
have a shot at some interesting colors. That was not what I ended up with. The fog was so thick that everything beyond these reeds was unable to be seen.
As I started to pack up to come in, I was struck by the interesting geometric shapes that were created by the reflection of the reeds in the water. This has
become one of my favorite images.” It was shot with a Canon EOS 6D and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens at 105mm, 1/500 second, f/4, ISO 100.
© Lynne A. Kasey

COFFEE
“Enjoying a cup of coffee in my backyard while
reflecting on life,” Randal Hand says. It was shot
with a Nikon D3100 at 55mm, f/4, 1/2000 second.
© Randal Hand

I TAWT I TAW A PUDDY TAT!

“The community cat checking out a most handsome tabby,” Donna Mullins says. She shot it with a
Canon EOS 5D Mark II and a 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 1/320 second, f/15.
© Donna Mullins

72 | JANUARY | 2018
OUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT

HOW TO SUBMIT ONLINE

ABANDONED 1. Go to Shutterbug.com and register. Scroll down the page and on the right side you will see a box for
entering your username and your password. If you already have registered and/or submitted images
for the Galleries you can skip this step. Respond to the activation e-mail. Registration is free. You

AND
will use your username and password whenever you visit or, with some systems, it will automatically
load for you when you visit Shutterbug.com.
2. Check the assignment and closing dates in the magazine. When the magazine is printed we will
create an appropriate gallery for your images.

DISCARDED 3. Select and prepare your images. We only accept files at a maximum 20MB size, JPEG format. Save
the JPEG at a quality level of 10 or higher. Note that file size in your image folder directory will
determine upload size, not the “opened” file size, as JPEG compresses at 1:4 at higher quality ratings.
If your images do not load it probably means you have exceeded the file size or have not used JPEG
Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder. format.
4. Click on the Galleries tab on the homepage. In the Category section use the drop-down menu
For this assignment, we want you to seek to select the Picture This! assignment. Note that images are simultaneously loaded into the
out what others might turn their heads assignment category as well as your own personal gallery. When the Picture This! assignment
deadline date has lapsed the assignment gallery will be removed, but your image will still reside in
away from: abandoned or discarded things. your own gallery.
Images can be anything from abandoned 5. In the Description box add title, camera, lens, exposure information, and your full name. Also add
any other comments or anecdotes you think relevant. If you submit images with an enhancement
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parks, malls, homes, shops, gas stations, the software and “filter” used to attain that effect. We reserve the right to edit comments as needed.
6. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to upload the image.
and bus depots, to overgrown gardens and 7. You retain copyright on the image.
8. We will choose the images after close of the due date.
neglected landscapes or ruined cityscapes, 9. Please feel free to comment on images submitted by other readers.
which may not be conventionally beautiful
but conjure powerful feelings or emotions. PLEASE NOTE: If the photograph includes a minor or a recognizable individual or group you are
guaranteeing that you have a signed model release form, and especially a parental or guardian release
Sometimes called “ruin porn,” the idea is to form for minors. You should keep a copy of that release in your files. Scan that release and keep it handy.
If an image is chosen for publication, failure to provide a form when requested will eliminate the image
capture something visually poetic amidst all from consideration. You can find release forms at http://asmp.org/tutorials/model-release-minor-child.
this decay. This could be a tricky assignment html and other resources on the Internet. By uploading images you attest that the model release form is
valid, that any depiction of a person is with their consent, that you have a model release form available on
for some and you may want to try your hand request, and that all images you submit have been made by you. If you have any questions or problems
at black-and-white photography or through e-mail us at [email protected] with Picture This! in the subject line.
evocative post-processing to get the look, DEADLINE FOR ABANDONED AND DISCARDED: February 1, 2018. Images will appear in the May 2018 issue.
feel, and visual “smell” you want in your UPCOMING TOPIC: Birds
DEADLINE: March 1, 2018 PUBLICATION DATE: June 2018
abandoned and discarded images. Q
PLEASE NOTE: By submitting you agree to give us the right to show the image(s) on the web and for
publication. You give us publication rights in the magazine and on the website(s) of TEN: The Enthusiast
Deadline for submissions: February 1, 2018 Network, LLC.
(Images will appear in our May 2018 issue.)

» BOMBED OUT
I’ve shared images
of this place before
and it still gives me
the creeps. It’s a
town in Spain called
Belchite, which was
destroyed during
the Spanish Civil
War. Rather than
restore the town, it
was left in ruins as a
memorial to the
horrors of war. It’s an
amazing and
terrifying place that
provokes many
emotions. This
bombed out
cityscape has
actually been used
to powerful effect in
two major motion
pictures: Terry
Gilliam’s 1988 film
“The Adventures of
Baron Munchausen”
and Guillermo del
Toro’s “Pan’s
Labyrinth.” I shot
this image with a
Canon EOS 5D Mark
II and a Canon EF
16-35mm f/2.8L
USM lens at 17mm,
f/5.6, 1/125 second,
ISO 50.
© Dan Havlik

WANT TO SEE IMAGES SELECTED FOR PAST PICTURE THIS! ASSIGNMENTS?

Go to Shutterbug.com and click on Picture This! in the “Features” menu at the top of the homepage.
SHUTTERBUG.COM | 73
 www.CAMERABOOKS.com
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CREATIVITY / FINAL SHOT

© Michael Arzur

SPLENDID SUNSET
While visiting Pétarel Lake in the French Alps, Shutterbug reader Michael Arzur captured a glorious sunset thanks to preplanning and a bit of luck. “I realized
this shot in the spring,” Arzur says, “because to me it’s the best season for the mountain lakes. The vegetation is gorgeous with amazing colors that are
perfect for a composed foreground. I decided to camp around the lake to enjoy the colors of the sky until the last minute. The lights at this moment were
amazing with a beautiful sky for a great mood. It was a really good moment for a landscape photographer.” The tripod-mounted image was taken with a
Nikon D610 and a Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD lens at 24mm, f/11, 1/50 second, ISO 100. A Cokin Z-Pro Series G2 Soft ND8 filter was also used. It
should be noted that the image is a composite that he achieved by blending three pictures. To view more of Arzur’s landscape images, visit
arzurmichaelphotographie.com.

Every month we feature an image in Final Shot from Shutterbug’s online Galleries on Shutterbug.com.

SHUTTERBUG.COM | 81
 THE NEXT CHAPTER

ROSITA LIPARI INTRODUCES THE NEW NIKON FULL FRAME D850.

To help announce the best all-around camera we’ve ever created, Nikon teamed up with
award-winning wedding photographer Rosita Lipari. With the D850’s unmatched combination
of resolution and speed, featuring a 45.7 MP full-frame CMOS sensor and 9 fps* continuous
shooting, Rosita was able to capture her creative aspiration like never before. Matched with full-
frame 4K UHD video, the D850 ushers in a new era of bold expression and expansive storytelling.
Begin your next chapter by visiting nikonusa.com/d850.
*Requires the optional MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack and EN-EL 18a/b battery.
Nikon is a registered trademark of Nikon Corporation. ©2017 Nikon Inc.